The IDA has said last year was one of its toughest years and that thousands of jobs were lost because of exceptional circumstances.
Launching its annual report, the authority said 17,500 jobs were lost due to the impact of the global slowdown in the IT sector.
However, it added that 13,500 new jobs were also created. IDA chief executive, Sean Dorgan, said while the Irish economy is slowing down, it is still growing at a reduced rate.