Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he intends to take to address the skill needs of the ICT sector that are continuously evolving and recognising that the current graduate output levels are less than 1,000 while the estimated demand from the sector is currently twice that level. [34859/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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While it is very positive that the numbers of students accepting places on ICT undergraduate programmes have increased by almost 30% over the last 3 years, the impact of this will take time to feed through into increased graduate output. My officials have been working very closely with Forfás, the HEA and representatives of the ICT sector to more precisely identify the shortages that are being experienced and how they might be addressed. Specific proposals for an ICT Action Plan are being developed in consultation with industry representatives which aim to increase the domestic supply of high level ICT graduates in the short term through expansion of conversion and re skilling opportunities while also boosting the longer term supply of graduates in terms of numbers and quality. These include the provision of almost 2,000 Springboard places on ICT programmes, over 800 of which are at honours/masters degree level. Industry and academic experts have also been working together on the design of a tender for a new one year graduate skills conversion programme to commence early in 2012. The HEA expects to issue this tender before the end of the week.