18 Feb 2013, 14:23
The Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation will meet tomorrow, Tuesday, 19th February, 2013 to discuss its report A Review of the ICT skills Demand in Ireland and future developments in the ICT Sector with Sean O’Sullivan, Open Ireland.
Chairman of the Committee Deputy Damien English said: “In October, the Committee launched a report A Review of the ICT Skills Demand in Ireland, which found that there is a need to boost the level of ICT-literacy among teachers if Ireland is to prepare a workforce with relevant skills for a knowledge economy. It found that there is a significant gap between the ICT skills which are taught in our schools and those that are required to take up job opportunities in the technology sector. Inadequate resources and broadband in schools are also making the implementation of ICT strategies more difficult, the report found.
Tomorrow we will meet with Sean O’Sullivan from Open Ireland, an organisation that was set up to raise visibility of strategies necessary to develop Ireland as a technological economic powerhouse. We will be particularly interested in getting his views on the Committee report as well as having a more wide-ranging discussion on future developments in the ICT sector in Ireland.
While Ireland has been very successful in attracting major computer, software and social media companies such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft, concerns have been raised over the numbers of young people taking maths and science subjects and having the requisite ICT skills to fill the jobs being created by these companies. This issue will have to be tackled if we are serious about building a knowledge economy.
Tomorrow’s meeting will provide us with an opportunity to get Sean O’Sullivan’s views on initiatives to enhance the teaching of ICT, create the right environment to foster a knowledge-based economy and establish Ireland as a technological centre.”
This meeting will take place on Tuesday, 19th February 2013, in Committee Room 2, Leinster House 2000 at 1.30pm.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at: http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/watchlisten/
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee Membership
Deputies: Dara Calleary, Áine Collins, Michael Conaghan, Damien English (Chair), John Halligan, Seán Kyne, Anthony Lawlor, John Lyons (Vice-Chair) and Peadar Tóibín.
Senators: Deirdre Clune, David Cullinane, John Kelly, Michael Mullins, Feargal Quinn and Mary White