Three IDA Ireland-backed firms have announced the creation of a total of 485 new jobs at locations in Cork, Kildare, Galway and Sligo.

US technology giant HP is creating 150 software research and development positions over the next three years at its sites in Leixlip, Co Kildare and Galway. It is also hiring an additional 130 technical support staff in Kildare.

Abbott Pharmaceutical is to invest €85 million in its manufacturing facilities in Sligo which will support its pipeline of new drugs. The new plant will be completed in 2014 and will provide 175 new jobs.

The jobs will be added during the construction phase which will create another 150 temporary building jobs.

In Cork online games company Big Fish Games is to create 30 jobs with the expansion of a research and development centre which looks at how cloud technologies can be applied to gaming.

Speaking from New York, where he is attending the Invest in Ireland business forum hosted by former US president Bill Clinton, IDA Ireland chief executive Barry O'Leary described it as "an excellent day" and said the announcements would highlight to "US business leaders the many advantages of investing in Ireland".

The new HP jobs would not have been secured without "a collaborative approach" with IDA Ireland, said HP Ireland managing director Martin Murphy.

"Foreign direct investment is a very competitive space at the moment," said Mr Murphy. "We are competing with a lot of other countries to win jobs."