Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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525. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which he envisages cloud computing to become of major, commercial impact in the context of economic recovery and job creation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27345/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Cloud computing has the potential to revolutionise the IT investment model in Ireland and elsewhere. It allows companies to use the internet to efficiently access vast amounts of computing resources that would otherwise be beyond their reach. A report undertaken by A&L Goodbody and commissioned by Microsoft has suggested that Cloud Computing sales by Irish firms could be worth €9.5 billion per annum by 2014 and provide for 8,600 jobs as business migrates to the Cloud.

The Programme for Government commits to a range of initiatives aimed at making Ireland a leader in the emerging I.T. market of cloud computing. My colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, established a group to implement this commitment on Cloud Computing. The group, on which my Department was represented, was tasked with addressing all aspects of cloud computing, including expenditure, IT, procurement, security, infrastructure, and industrial strategy. The group made recommendations in its report of June 2012 and compiled a work programme and actions on foot of these recommendations. These actions were incorporated into the 2013 Action Plan for Jobs.