THE services industry is one of tile key sectors of the Irish economy, according to Minister for Tourism and Trade, Mr Kenny, who was speaking at the Institute of Management Consultants in Ireland dinner in Dublin last night, said that more than 700,000 people were employed in services, compared to 480,000 in industry and agriculture combined. About 40,000 new jobs were created in the sector last year, he added. The management consultancy sector alone had generated £60 million in export earnings last year, he said.

The president of the institute, Mr Pat Gillen, said that more than 700 Irish consultants are now working on international projects "contributing valuable foreign exchange earnings to the economy". However, he said the Government did not appear to recognise the importance of the services sector and continued to tax its export earnings at 38 per cent. The Government also failed to produce statistics and information of the services sector, he said.