US SOCIAL networking giant Facebook yesterday announced plans to more than double its Irish workforce within the next year.

At the official opening of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters on Hanover Quay, the company confirmed it will significantly add to its Irish operation and increase its employee base.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan, who officially opened Facebook’s new offices in Dublin’s docklands, said the announcement was public affirmation of the State’s highly skilled workforce and of Ireland as a base of choice for advanced technology companies.

“I am delighted to announce that Facebook will grow its international operations, increasing its commitment to Ireland,” Ms Coughlan said.

“Facebook has fast become a worldwide name, and it is a fabulous endorsement that Ireland can satisfy the needs of such a highly innovative and technologically advanced companies as they make critical investments.”

Since its inception as a networking tool for US college students, Facebook has grown exponentially to become the world’s largest social networking site and a favoured means of communication for more than 300 million users across the globe.

The company said it expected to double the size of its Irish business within the next year, with employee numbers increasing from 70 to more than 140 in that time.

Anyone can sign up online for a free Facebook account, and the company already has in excess of one million users in Ireland.

Chief financial officer David Ebersman singled out the Irish workforce for particular praise, citing them as a crucial factor in the company’s decision to base its European operations here.

“Facebook looked at multiple places were we could conceivably build a European centre to provide certain services to our users, advertisers and developers across a very large region of Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” he said. “Ireland was really the best choice for us for lots of reasons, the workforce being top of the list.”

Colm Long, director of online operations at Facebook, said Ireland’s communications infrastructure was vital in supporting Facebook’s EMEA operations and in establishing a market presence in the country itself.

“The growth we have seen in the Irish user base has been exceptional,” he said.

“There are over one million active users – people who have used the website in the last 30 days – of Facebook in Ireland, which represents a quarter of the population.

“Certainly, in terms of the user base, we probably have better penetration than we do in most other markets and, in terms of our own infrastructure needs, Facebook has been very well serviced in Ireland,” he said.

Facebook’s European operations have been based in Dublin since October 2008.