Mr. Kieran Sweeney:

Getting the message out is important. It is version one of an indigenous company in terms of growth. We provide services to public and private customers all over Ireland, and it is very important that we are looking to spread the entry into technology. The Deputy is correct in the sense that young people have technical skills far above those already in employment, including some in the technology sector, and we want to capitalise on this by ensuring all possible routes are open to them, broadening the pipeline for talent, giving everybody all the opportunities we can and bringing in the maximum number of people. The open positions are the potential. Ireland’s technical strength is already recognised globally and we must continue to feed that and encourage those roles. This training does not just feed the technology sector but enables wider economic growth. For the next five to seven years it is important we remember how much of an enabler technology will be.

We see the impact of technology in all areas and bringing that technical ability to all organisations will benefit these organisations individually, as well as benefiting the country in terms of our ability to compete on a global stage. Services will be available from anywhere on the globe and the ability to use technology effectively and efficiently will allow us to create technically enabled jobs in all sectors. That will be a huge factor in the years to come.