Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 147: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps which have been taken to date to implement the recommendations of the services strategy group; the forthcoming actions on this report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43934/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I launched the report of the Services Strategy Group, "Catching the Wave: A Services Strategy for Ireland" in September. This report sets out new policy proposals on how we can ensure the continued development and growth of Ireland's services sector.

The report aims to develop a comprehensive, forward-looking assessment of how to maximise the returns to Ireland from services activities, and in so doing it identifies three strategic aims for future services policy in Ireland:

1. Realising the opportunities to further grow and diversify Irish services exports;

2. Encouraging internationalisation, where Irish service enterprises establish operations in overseas markets;

3. Recognising the important role of Irish service enterprises that trade locally on the domestic market, and ensuring that these are efficient and productive.

The report makes a number of wide ranging recommendations, which cut across a number of Government Departments. The Secretary-General of my Department has written to his counterparts in other Departments seeking their views on those recommendations that fall within their policy remit and how these might be implemented. In addition, officials of my own Department are currently undertaking an examination of the recommendations within the report, relevant to the enterprise agenda, When this process is complete, I expect to be in a position to formulate a comprehensive response to the various recommendations set out in the strategy.

Actions are already taking place in some areas. For example, on 19 November, I launched Enterprise Ireland's strategy for the internationalisation of Ireland's services sector, which the agency estimates could yield up to €1.14bn in new export sales for Ireland by 2010, and a doubling of exports sales in this sector to €5.25bn by 2015. On the same day I also announced Enterprise Ireland's new "Going Global Fund" — a €3m government fund specifically aimed at locally traded companies that have successfully established businesses in Ireland and wish to explore opportunities to sell abroad. These plans and supports will give ambitious services firms, particularly those that have not looked beyond the Irish market yet, the confidence to offer their quality services in global markets, generating wealth and prosperity for the economy back home.

We continue to be one of the world's leading service exporting countries and are currently ranked the 10th highest exporter of services in the world. Over the next ten years, services will be one of the key drivers of Ireland's economic success and job creation. We already have a strong base from which to drive this internationalisation of Irish services — the Irish services sector accounts for two-thirds of the workforce in Ireland and 60 per cent of the value.

Implementation of the recommendations of the Services Strategy Group — some of which are already being acted on by the Enterprise Agencies — will enable Irish service companies to exploit new and exciting opportunities, such as eLearning, business and financial services, professional and consultancy services and others. Given a relatively solid foundation to begin with, Ireland can be an ideal location for services to develop and prosper.