Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not sure what the Deputy means by saying it is a sad day when the US is leading. The US leads in many areas. We try to lead in many areas too.

Clearly, this is an area where we have made significant improvements but we are not where we need to be. That is why we need to encourage more young girls as well as women into tech and tech-based subjects through education. There are a number of programmes we support, from iWish to other innovation programmes that get young girls thinking at a much earlier stage, and indeed their parents, about the kind of careers they may pursue.

The reality is the future of the Irish economy is digital and tech based. We want to ensure our education system is fit for purpose in that regard and that girls and women are not disadvantaged in their career choices because of the subjects they may choose at a much earlier age. We need to ensure the agencies of the State, in particular Enterprise Ireland and local enterprise offices, are doing everything they can to promote the role of women in the tech industry. There is a lot of talent there and I have met many female founders myself. We need to make sure they get equal access to funding and that we publish data which highlight problems so that we can solve them.

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