Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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94. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in the context of Horizon 2020 programme and its emphasis on expanding digital programming as an area for significant job potential and the grants being awarded in this area, his views that there may be a gap in the area of developing and supporting distribution and marketing skills in this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16961/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Horizon 2020 is the EU's programme for research and innovation with a budget of just under €80 billion and covering the period 2014 to 2020. Horizon 2020 is a core part of Europe 2020, the Innovation Union and the European Research Area and is responding to the economic crisis by investing in future jobs and growth, addressing people's concerns about their livelihoods, safety and environment and strengthening the EU’s global position in research, innovation and technology. Ireland is well positioned to benefit from Horizon 2020, building on an excellent performance by Irish researchers, agencies and companies in the preceding programme – the Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Innovation - from which almost €600 million in funding to participants in Ireland has been allocated to date.

Ensuring Ireland has the skills required in the ICT sector is a priority for Government. I along with my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, published, on 14 February last, the ICT Skills Action Plan 2014 to fill the projected 44,500 jobs for ICT professionals over the years to 2018. Under the Plan, it is aimed to meet 74% of industry demands domestically for ICT professionals by 2018 – up from 45% in 2011 and 60% now. In order to meet this target the plan incorporates a series of reforms aimed at dramatically increasing the availability of graduates:

- Provide an additional 1,250 undergraduate ICT places per year in higher education institutions;

- Increase the retention rate of students on ICT related courses;

- Launch a further round of ICT Skills Conversion courses;

- Promote careers in ICT to primary and second level students with industry support;

- Roll-out courses in Digital media literacy, programming and coding in the new Junior Cycle Student Awards;

- Promote STEM and ICT careers through SFI Discover Smart Futures and training of 450+ volunteers to give career talks in schools;

- Develop a web portal to attract international talent with in demand skills to Ireland;

- Organise career fairs abroad with the participation of companies who have vacancies;

- Facilitate the issuing of up to 2,000 employment permits per year to experienced ICT professionals with skills in high demand;

- Increase efficiency in the employment permits process and introduce new legislation to enhance the application process.