Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 July 2013
273. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he is satisfied with the results achieved by the State in 2012 in achieving its targets under the Europe 2020 Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23667/13]
View answerMy Department is responsible for the research and development and the employment targets under the Europe 2020 Strategy. The position in respect of these targets is as follows.
Research and Development:
Ireland’s Headline Target for R&D under the Europe 2020 Strategy is to improve the conditions for research and development, in particular with the aim of raising combined public and private investment levels in this sector to 2.5% of GNP (approximately equivalent to 2.0% of GDP) by 2020. The research intensity ratio relates to Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) as a percentage of GNP. GERD is an internationally recognised metric which measures the total amount of expenditure on R&D in an economy. It includes all expenditure by Government and private enterprise and it measures the total amount of expenditure on all research performed in the enterprise, higher education and government sectors.
The latest available data show that the research intensity rate for 2012 is estimated at 2.11% of GNP (1.71% of GDP). The estimated research intensity rate for 2013 is 2.16% of GNP (1.73% of GDP). At this point we are on track to achieve the research intensity target by 2020.
Employment:
Ireland’s Europe 2020 Headline Target is to raise to 69%-71% the employment rate for women and men aged 20-64, including through the greater participation of young people, older workers and low-skilled workers, and the better integration of legal migrants.
The employment rate for women and men aged 20-64 was 64% in 2012, unchanged from 2011 suggesting a stabilisation in the labour market after a fall from 74% in 2007 to 71% in 2008 and 66% in 2009. Ireland has committed to review the target in 2014 in the context of a proposed mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
Ireland's National Reform Programme (NRP) for 2013 submitted by the Government to the European Commission in April indicates that the Europe 2020 medium term goals may be attained. Assuming the current 20-64 year old population cohort holds constant, attaining the targets set in the Action Plan for Jobs should have a significant positive impact for Ireland’s 2020 employment rate target, reaching 67.6% by 2016 and 70.1% by 2020, almost exactly the mid-point of Ireland’s employment rate target range of 69%-71% for 2020.
