Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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88. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which the services sector has grown in the past five years; the scope for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41338/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Services sector has grown significantly over the last five years.

The DBEI Annual Business Survey of Economic Impact (ABSEI) is a survey of approximately 4,200 client companies of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta employing ten or more employees in Ireland and comprises the Manufacturing and Information, Communication and Other Internationally Traded Services sectors. From this survey, Total Services Sales were €132.0 billion in 2017, up from €76.9 billion or 71.6% on 2013.

The DBEI Annual Employment Survey is an annual census of employment in all internationally trading Manufacturing and Services companies supported by the enterprise development agencies (IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and Údarás na Gaeltachta). From this survey, Total Services Employment increased from 153,926 in 2014 to 202,638 in 2018, an increase of 48,712 or 35.4% on 2014.

Total Services Employment, Annual Employment Survey, 2014-2018

The Deputy should be aware that the CSO measures activity (output, employment etc) in the sector for the whole economy, not just the internationally trading firms covered by the above surveys.

As regards future prospects for the sector, on 10 March 2019, the Government launched Future Jobs Ireland 2019, the first in a series of annual reports as part of a multi-annual framework to ensure our enterprises and workers are resilient and prepared for future challenges and opportunities. This is a whole-of-Government approach, which will form a key part of Ireland’s economic agenda over the medium term. Future Jobs Ireland focuses on five key Pillars, namely: embracing Innovation and technological change; improving SME productivity; enhancing skills and developing and attracting talent; increasing participation in the labour force; and transitioning to a low carbon economy. It will focus on future challenges in terms of ensuring we have skilled people working in quality jobs in sustainable sectors. Future Jobs Ireland will also ensure our enterprises and workers are well positioned to adapt to the technological and other transformational changes that the services sector and our economy and society will face in the years ahead.