The Big Interview

‘FDI will remain a key part of Ireland’s economic growth story’ – Martin Shanahan, Grant Thornton

The former IDA chief executive is looking forward to expanding the professional services firm’s FDI business and engagement with foreign multinationals

Martin Shanahan, head of FDI at Grant Thornton: ‘The whole world has woken up to the importance of foreign direct investment over the last few years.’ Picture: Arthur Carron

Martin Shanahan is sitting in a meeting room on the sixth floor of Grant Thornton’s office building on City Quay in central Dublin.

The former IDA chief executive cuts a relaxed figure when talking about the country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) prospects for the rest of this year, the structural challenges in the Irish economy, and why he believes a Sinn Féin-led government would not radically change Ireland’s approach to multinationals.

This year marks a ...