Vol. 522 No. 4
65 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans she has for a service strategy in view of the significant employment potential of the service sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18837/00]
A focussed service strategy is something I have sought to bring about since shortly after taking up office in June 1997. The new Programme for Prosperity and Fairness contains a specific commitment to implementation of such a strategy. I was pleased, therefore, to launch Enterprise Ireland's internationally tradable services strategy 2007, ITS 2007, last month. This arises from a study co-funded with the European Union under the small business operational programme and carried out by Pricewaterhouse Coopers. The main recommendations from that study were to stress the urgency of embracing modern technologies, especially information and communications technologies, and the desirability of encouraging high tech, high opportunity indigenous enterprise as the next wave of our economic competitiveness and prosperity.
ITS 2007 incorporates a strategic approach to developing an indigenous presence in these areas of opportunity, with particular emphasis on doing so on a regional basis that is away from the current concentration of services in the Dublin and eastern region. The plan sets ambitious targets to be achieved in identified sectors, in particular, informatics, digital media, e-business and health sciences, by 2007. The aim is to increase sales from £1.1 billion – mid 1999 figures – to £3.96 billion in 2007; to increase exports from £680 million to £2.97 billion; and to increase employment from 12,500 to 29,500.
