David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 692: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the advice she has received from officials in her Department or from any State agency or other agency on the need for young persons to choose science subjects at second level and further need to pursue science at third level; the projected number of science graduates needed each year for the next five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28645/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The 2002 report of the task force on the physical sciences highlighted the importance of addressing the decline in the numbers of students participating in physics and chemistry at senior cycle and choosing science options in higher education and sets out a range of strategies and actions to address this issue. A quantification in terms of supply and demand for science graduates was not featured in the report.

The essential need to increase the proportions of science, mathematics, technology and engineering graduates has been highlighted in a range of reports from IBEC, the National Competitiveness Council, expert group on future skills needs etc., as these are seen as critical to supporting high value employment, competitiveness and innovation in a globalised knowledge economy. As part of the Lisbon strategy to make Europe the most advanced knowledge society, member states are committed to reaching a target of 3% of gross domestic product expenditure on investment in research and development by 2010.

The July 2003 Benchmarking Education and Training in Ireland for Economic Development report of the expert group on future skills needs highlighted the need to increase the take up and performance in science subjects at senior cycle and to increase the numbers choosing science, technology and engineering subjects in higher education. This issue is further stressed in the study on the Supply and Demand for Skills in the Biotechnology Sector published in September 2003. The fourth report of the expert group on future skills needs in October 2003 quantified the likely demand needs in the ICT, engineering and biotechnology sectors and demand for the next five years are shown in the attached document.

A further report in August 2004 set out a model to predict the supply and demand for researchers and research personnel to contribute to the Lisbon target. The report highlights that, to meet the overall demands in the economy assuming a 2.5% investment target in research and development, an average demand of 512 PhD graduates and 1,258 non-PhD graduates, degree level or higher, will be needed each year from 2004 to 2010. These projections cover needs across the science, engineering, mathematics and computing sectors.