Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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53. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which studies have been carried out to determine the educational skills and requirements needed to meet demands in the modern workplace; the extent to which such skills are adequately available in this jurisdiction; his plans, if any, to address any shortcomings in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25455/13]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The policy basis which informs my Department's education and training provision includes the National Skills Strategy, the Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation, the Report of the Task Force on Innovation, the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work. In addition to the wide range of cross-cutting policy structures and forums for engagement on enterprise skills needs, such as the National Competitiveness Council and the Innovation Task Force, direct advice from enterprise informs the development of education and training policy on an ongoing basis. The FÁS Strategic Labour Market Unit and Expert Group on Future Skills Needs inform the selection of new targeted programmes designed to tackle the skills shortages in particular elements of the economy, e.g. Springboard, Momentum and the ICT skills conversion initiative, which was introduced as part of the ICT Action Plan.