Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Setting targets for return is tricky. Undoubtedly, we will see a return when we have a strong economy. The Deputy indicated that there is an ebb and flow every year of people who leave Ireland and come back. Even during the boom, 13,000 people were leaving Ireland.

Even now a significant number of Irish people are coming back. The tide ebbs and flows.

I acknowledge that an issue arises in regard to mismatch of skills. We must ensure a closer connection between the choices young people make in education and the opportunities that are available to them. That is a challenge and it is well known we cannot fill positions in certain areas from Irish trained people. We need to work on ways to allow more people to find opportunities at home. Work is being done in that regard through Springboard and the Minister for Education and Skills has committed to doubling the number of ICT graduates over a five year period as part of a joint initiative with my Department. Positive programmes are being developed to address the question of appropriate skills for the growth sectors.

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