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Information and Communications Technology

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 July 2012

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Ceisteanna (218, 219)

Seamus Kirk

Ceist:

222 Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his strategy in relation to IT, IT development here, and job creation in the IT sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34565/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Seamus Kirk

Ceist:

223 Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the value of the IT sector in Ireland; the number of jobs created in this area; if he will provide a breakdown by county in relation to value and jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34566/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together.

Ireland remains a very successful centre for ICT operations with almost 97,000 people employed in ICT firms in Ireland. Of these, almost 74,000 are employed in ICT companies that are clients of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Shannon Development and Údarás na Gaeltachta. These client companies exported goods and services to the value of almost €50 billion in 2010, representing 30% of national exports. The tabular statement, which is taken from the most recent Forfás Employment Survey, provides a breakdown of these jobs on a county basis. It is important to note that these figures, which are the only ones I have available on a county basis, relate only to agency-supported companies. Naturally other ICT companies and jobs may be located in these counties.

While the ICT sector was adversely affected by a number of high profile companies downsizing in the area of PC manufacturing over the past decade, the sector that we have today in Ireland is one based on advanced manufacturing in areas such as microelectronics, semiconductors and telecommunications equipment and devices. Indeed, ten of the top ICT companies in the world have substantial operations here.

The Government's Action Plan for Jobs has identified the ICT sector as having potential for further significant growth in job creation. The Action Plan acknowledges that, for Ireland to achieve its potential, its labour force must be appropriately skilled and our education system must remain responsive to the needs of the ICT sector as a whole. It calls for action to address the range of high level ICT skills recruitment difficulties identified in 2011 by Forfás through the work of the Expert Group on Future Skills. The findings of this study and the resulting action plans are documented in the Joint Government-Industry ICT Action Plan, which the Minister for Education and Skills and I launched in January this year. The Plan outlines a range of short, medium and long term measures to develop a sustainable domestic supply of high quality ICT graduates to support the further expansion and development of the ICT sector and support innovation and growth across other sectors of the economy.As part of the Plan, 750 places have been made available on new Higher Diploma Level 8 Conversion ICT Programmes which began rolling out in higher education institutions across the country from last March. Access is free of charge to participants who will obtain a level 8 Higher Diploma. Graduates of these programmes will be available for recruitment in early 2013. In addition, 530 people with a qualification at level 8 or Masters level in ICT are now due to graduate from the first phase of Springboard. A further 2,200 places on ICT programmes from certificate to Masters degree level are now open for applications as part of Springboard 2012.

The Action Plan for Jobs identifies a number of other challenges that must be addressed in order for Ireland to realise the potential for future growth in the ICT sector:

Maintaining cost competitiveness in the midst of intensifying competition globally, especially in manufacturing, vis-à-vis low cost economies where more mature sectoral activities continue to be outsourced.

The need to ensure ongoing availability of competitively priced high speed broadband networks.

The limited scope for software SME's to engage in public procurement initiatives from which strong reference clients and partnerships can emerge.

Supporting and fostering digital innovations and the emergence of digital start up companies.

The Action Plan identifies a range of actions to be taken in 2012 by my Department and its agencies; the Department of Education and Skills and its agencies; the Department of An Taoiseach; and, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to address these challenges. Implementation of these actions is ongoing and is being monitored on a quarterly basis.

Jobs by County in ICT Companies supported by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development and Údarás Na Gaeltachta

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Permanent Jobs

All Regions

61,523

59,597

59,241

60,149

64,062

65,064

65,740

59,764

62,006

65,640

Carlow

76

66

71

63

77

65

101

106

138

129

Kilkenny

37

31

31

26

12

10

27

29

33

33

Tipperary South Riding

231

233

203

126

90

157

137

108

114

116

Waterford

762

921

973

1,065

1,355

1,931

1,889

2,053

2,228

1,754

Wexford

231

218

195

174

192

232

219

223

205

178

Cavan

181

181

175

172

171

169

164

168

168

187

Donegal

755

949

980

1,286

1,263

1,450

1,563

1,418

1,390

1,597

Leitrim

478

978

1,136

965

879

868

905

894

804

607

Louth

290

324

347

358

398

424

460

463

477

493

Monaghan

66

72

65

62

68

77

76

90

88

82

Sligo

81

85

80

102

285

286

303

263

148

160

Clare

1,084

1,040

1,041

966

1,087

1,112

1,092

1,003

899

899

Limerick

4,476

4,183

4,175

4,301

4,953

5,023

4,528

2,531

2,221

2,171

Tipperary North Riding

45

47

46

42

31

32

28

20

21

21

Cork

4,752

4,724

5,030

5,231

5,759

5,918

6,404

6,085

6,486

7,126

Kerry

453

494

482

485

444

533

606

536

555

483

Dublin

40,002

37,108

36,089

37,034

39,661

39,021

39,810

37,091

37,834

40,631

Galway

2,075

2,220

2,250

2,444

2,495

2,680

2,761

2,350

2,747

3,394

Mayo

597

583

613

524

527

585

600

566

494

542

Roscommon

59

66

76

76

60

103

94

67

54

53

Kildare

1,858

1,830

1,842

1,896

1,918

1,864

1,738

1,521

2,691

2,681

Meath

699

641

722

822

794

763

556

570

579

594

Wicklow

1,452

1,759

1,625

888

699

759

685

652

599

609

Laois

44

37

35

40

38

36

17

34

49

19

Longford

62

94

82

65

89

76

47

33

32

27

Offaly

24

20

43

38

37

57

106

47

34

32

Westmeath

588

650

791

868

661

822

814

833

906

1,010

Other Jobs

All Regions

7,239

8,306

9,324

8,555

9,101

8,772

8,031

7,594

8,460

8,643

Carlow

7

9

9

9

7

5

5

3

15

10

Kilkenny

3

3

2

1

3

17

6

11

13

Tipperary South Riding

33

31

39

25

21

57

62

57

58

25

Waterford

337

394

263

287

91

254

522

522

479

207

Wexford

24

54

68

93

61

44

41

34

33

24

Cavan

30

33

Donegal

53

72

116

159

146

163

133

163

229

177

Leitrim

16

37

31

74

91

12

104

91

94

97

Louth

114

181

287

259

304

223

258

173

165

281

Monaghan

1

1

1

7

2

4

4

5

Sligo

15

18

17

17

48

67

72

64

15

13

Clare

64

156

40

100

45

50

57

75

74

91

Limerick

625

780

1,304

1,262

1,543

1,839

478

174

221

229

Tipperary North Riding

1

2

6

5

4

4

Cork

569

711

724

610

832

949

872

1,085

1,466

1,170

Kerry

58

43

16

36

54

54

44

37

46

41

Dublin

4,304

4,578

5,035

4,705

4,867

4,103

4,356

4,415

4,501

5,216

Galway

445

449

724

314

292

391

447

176

439

550

Mayo

94

224

151

74

94

85

76

70

103

79

Roscommon

11

13

16

16

10

12

13

7

11

11

Kildare

76

126

91

184

212

90

92

98

165

77

Meath

183

98

153

143

128

143

114

133

144

164

Wicklow

142

259

168

115

180

136

149

130

81

67

Laois

7

7

10

8

9

9

6

6

5

5

Longford

16

6

7

12

8

8

4

5

3

5

Offaly

2

2

3

3

5

9

9

9

8

5

Westmeath

38

54

48

49

52

57

92

52

56

44

Job Gains (Full Time)

All Regions

6,788

5,589

6,566

7,697

8,598

7,471

6,828

4,023

7,774

7,689

Carlow

5

7

3

15

1

50

13

32

12

Kilkenny

4

4

4

2

4

17

5

7

1

Tipperary South Riding

77

6

1

14

68

4

8

15

Waterford

216

178

132

106

292

602

62

224

203

149

Wexford

43

21

1

2

18

40

10

12

10

1

Cavan

1

8

1

19

Donegal

172

224

83

318

81

234

171

63

120

218

Leitrim

119

502

158

8

4

7

37

6

3

Louth

14

47

58

26

51

58

71

47

46

63

Monaghan

8

1

6

9

7

15

1

2

Sligo

19

17

7

26

190

18

39

26

27

23

Clare

173

101

119

98

199

77

91

42

42

65

Limerick

165

74

297

214

763

368

163

95

109

92

Tipperary North Riding

5

6

3

16

1

4

1

Cork

532

544

640

558

910

1,063

1,045

634

790

1,004

Kerry

17

69

92

70

44

106

105

31

68

60

Dublin

4,266

2,751

4,109

5,264

5,442

3,905

4,361

2,285

4,330

4,872

Galway

365

374

274

378

337

409

288

154

542

735

Mayo

78

27

104

13

37

61

48

74

18

58

Roscommon

1

9

16

6

1

44

3

7

Kildare

118

88

64

146

79

39

47

31

1,207

81

Meath

71

47

90

104

13

2

51

103

48

30

Wicklow

286

370

103

214

49

95

62

40

57

51

Laois

9

1

1

10

17

15

1

Longford

32

3

1

24

Offaly

4

23

2

4

20

53

2

2

Westmeath

32

76

170

108

25

238

43

85

88

134

Job Gains (Other)

All Regions

2,526

3,099

3,750

2,561

2,375

2,465

2,786

2,195

2,894

2,655

Carlow

2

1

1

5

2

12

6

Kilkenny

1

1

3

14

1

7

3

Tipperary South Riding

6

2

13

2

8

36

5

9

6

1

Waterford

170

105

10

56

4

165

279

17

27

8

Wexford

10

33

18

28

5

7

2

6

1

Cavan

30

3

Donegal

2

52

78

90

29

38

18

56

99

9

Leitrim

21

45

18

92

3

3

Louth

44

67

113

9

50

12

50

8

15

130

Monaghan

1

7

2

4

1

Sligo

10

8

3

4

34

24

13

16

4

5

Clare

48

107

18

73

15

24

24

30

13

34

Limerick

255

195

630

130

431

441

58

34

85

35

Tipperary North Riding

1

2

5

4

Cork

74

303

183

228

390

366

216

492

637

190

Kerry

20

13

9

27

34

26

17

10

19

8

Dublin

1,604

1,609

2,044

1,524

1,071

1,012

1,642

1,343

1,410

1,922

Galway

135

169

356

123

91

161

187

62

339

214

Mayo

50

137

118

37

28

38

13

19

43

22

Roscommon

5

6

4

2

4

4

5

3

Kildare

16

97

8

95

41

11

24

26

84

15

Meath

18

23

59

29

22

24

14

32

17

27

Wicklow

26

131

55

42

90

37

41

13

12

1

Laois

7

1

6

1

2

1

Longford

8

3

6

2

3

2

Offaly

1

2

5

3

2

2

1

Westmeath

16

18

18

10

12

17

56

12

19

10

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