evidence: The current woes of the tech industry are not likely to be its death knell. Years ago, Dell Technologies closed its manufacturing plant in Ireland but the company now employs more people in Ireland than before - just in different roles. Since then, Ireland has gone from strength to strength as a global digital hub, with a strong indigenous base alongside a range of multinationals with their Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters here. More than 200,000 people are employed in the sector here and it accounts for 13 per cent of Ireland’s GDP.