Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 March 2014
22. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the initiatives he is taking in view of the report by the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation regarding serious skills shortages in the ICT sector here; if he will establish an Irish technology visa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12227/14]
View answerThe rapidly evolving technology sector represents both a challenge and an opportunity for Ireland, and it is my intention and the intention of my colleagues in Government to harness to the greatest extent possible developments in this sphere to the benefit of the country. Since the Oireachtas Committee Report was issued in October 2012, a study undertaken for the European Commission in April 2013 projects that there may be a shortage of ICT professionals of up to 864,000 in Europe by 2015. In addition, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) published a report in November 2013 which projects that there will be more than 44,500 potential job openings for ICT professionals in Ireland over the period from 2013 to 2018, including almost 20,400 potential job openings for both new graduates and skilled professionals between 2013 and 2015.
Almost half of applications for new Employment Permits during 2013 were from applicants with critical ICT skills, both within and beyond the ICT sector itself. The Action Plan for Jobs (APJ) 2013 committed to delivering a range of additional measures to streamline and simplify the Employment Permit application process, with shortages in the ICT sector specifically in mind. These have all been delivered. For example, an ICT Green Card employment permit application may now be made in respect of all sectors of the economy, not just in the ICT sector itself, in recognition that ICT skills are in short supply across the economy. An Intra-Company Transfer Permit holder or a Contract Service Provider Employment Permit holder can now apply for other types of Employment Permits. The €30,000 salary threshold for IT Graduates (both graduates of Irish and foreign colleges) has been reduced to €27,000. This year, the application process is being enhanced by the development of a ‘Trusted Partner Registration Scheme’ to allow fast tracking of applications.
The initial pilot phase of the Scheme will be rolled out for employment in selected enterprises that are enterprise agency clients. Other changes to the application process, which include enhanced call centre support and the introduction an eForm, have reduced processing times for issue of Employment Permits by an average of 36% over the course of 2013.
The Minister for Education and Skills and I, together with a range of Government agencies and in close collaboration with industry, have developed Ireland's second ICT Skills Action Plan, informed by the progress to date in implementing the measures under the first ICT Action Plan, and the EGFSN Report. The EGFSN report presents new demand scenarios for high level ICT skills to 2018. The ICT Skills Action Plan will bring together actions by industry, education providers and the state sector to meet the challenge of ICT skills shortages, and will be launched by the Minister for Education and Skills and myself tomorrow. The focus of this new Plan will be on building the supply of graduates and skilled professionals with core ICT/electronic engineering qualifications at honours degree level and above. Before the publication of the first Action Plan, domestic supply from higher education programmes only meat 45% of demand. That figure is now estimated at over 60% and we are targeting three quarters by 2018.
Whilst I have no plans to introduce a Technology Permit, I am pleased that the scope of the new ICT Skills Action Plan has been broadened to encompass measures to increase the supply of highly skilled and experienced ICT professionals from abroad, to meet expected skills demand in the short term. I also intend to bring before the Houses an Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill during this session to underpin an employment permits regime, specifically focussed on plugging skills gaps and minimising their impact on enterprise growth. I am confident that the changes to the application requirements specific to the Highly Skilled Occupations – which includes ICT skills - will enhance Ireland’s attractiveness as a destination for ICT professionals and their families.
