Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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636. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if this jurisdiction is experiencing a shortage of graduates within a particular area that is likely to impact on the corresponding workforce in the future; the plans currently in place to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40286/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is experiencing record numbers of people in employment, resulting in a highly competitive market for talent. In the context of these labour market conditions, there are a number of areas which are experiencing shortages of trained professionals.

The November 2023 Skills and Labour Market Research Unit "Difficult-to-Fill Vacancies Survey" identified Science, Technology & Engineering; Construction; Transport & Logistics; Financial; and Health as sectors experiencing some challenges in filling vacancies.

The tertiary education sector is evolving to address these challenges. HEA data shows enrolments in Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction, ICT and Natural Sciences have increased by 13% since 2018/19.

Officials in my Department continue to engage extensively with their counterparts in other Departments regarding workforce planning in areas of skills shortages.

My Department is putting particular priority on supporting the health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce and support a range of clinical teams in our health services. These include medicine, veterinary medicine, and healthcare professions generally. The Higher Education Authority and the higher education sector have identified where additional places can and should be provided in the higher education system within the existing infrastructure. This has led to a substantial increase in the number of places on these programmes. These additional places will continue to be targeted at areas of acute skills need as identified through our national skills architecture.

Initiatives including Apprenticeships, Tertiary Degrees and Engagement with Enterprise regarding skills will continue to provide alternative pathways for students to participate and overcome barriers to higher education in critical skills areas, including healthcare.