Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 5

Written Answers. - Job Creation.

Ivor Callely

Question:

73 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the biggest growth industry for job creation in recent years; if such jobs and growth are sustainable; the identified requirement to ensure qualified personnel are being trained to fill such jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12152/00]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

FÁS-ESRI have just published their occupational employment forecasts to 2005. At the beginning of the document, they draw on the ESRI Medium Term Review 1999-2005 to set out broad employment trends from 1990 to 2005.

ESRI identified the main contributors to employment growth between 1995 and 2000 to be: building and construction a 69% increase from 1995 to 2000; high-technology manufacturing; 52% increase from 1995 to 2000, for example, information technology, pharmaceuticals; market services; 34% increase from 1995 to 2000, for example, telecommunications, professional services.

While there is no reason to question the sustainability of the jobs created in these sectors in recent years, ESRI projects a slowdown in overall employment creation between 2000 and 2005 to 11%, compared to the 24% overall increase in employment from 1995 to 2000.

ESRI identifies high-technology manufacturing and market services as the main contributors to employment creation in the medium term future. It forecasts a much slower growth rate for employment in building and construction as "the sector reaches the point when it can largely cope with the ongoing level of demand".

As regards the supply of qualified personnel, the business, education and training partnership was set up in 1997 to develop national strategies to tackle the issue of skill needs, manpower needs estimation and education and training for business. The expert group on future skills needs is an element of the partnership. The partnership approach in general, and the expert group on future skills needs in particular have identified areas where action can be taken to ensure that skills needs are being addressed.

The expert group has produced two reports to date. Its first report, published in December 1998, examined the area of information technology skills. Its second report, published in March 2000, examined a range of skill areas, including skilled construction craftspersons and the chemical and biological sciences. The executive summary of the second report draws attention to the work of the group to date and sets out key recommendations to address some of the skills needs in the economy.

I have asked the expert group to continue its valuable work by analysing other skills needs in the economy and to monitor the situation as it evolves in those sectors analysed to date.

I am confident that industry itself will continue the active training of its employees to ensure productivity and competitiveness in its workforce. Such training has been supported by State funding and this support, in common with that for new investment and research and development projects, will continue as set out in the National Development Plan 2000 to 2006.