asked the Minister for Communications whether he has considered the possibility of the establishment of an international telecommunications service centre to attract the rapidly growing telecommunications linked services to locate in Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - International Telecommunications.
32.
I have no proposals to establish an international telecommunications centre. Telecom Éireann are able to provide the full range of telecommunications services and these are available for any person or body wishing to set up such a centre. Furthermore, Telecom Éireann liaise closely with the IDA in relation to the information technology needs of industries setting up here. An important element of Telecom Éireann's strategy is to develop Ireland as a communications gateway between Europe and the USA for communications intensive businesses and in implementing this strategy, they have made a number of major infrastructural investments in the recent past.
Will the Minister agree that the development of telecommunications services offers Ireland a unique opportunity in that it is a rapidly growing sector, with a 40 per cent per annum growth and a £5,000 million industry expected in the EC? In the light of that, will the Minister accept that it will be necessary to provide some package, like that prepared for the financial services centre embracing tax relief, special service agreements and so on? Does the Minister accept that we may miss an opportunity in this area if we do not provide some attractive measures for this sector?
I do not think we will miss any opportunities. In fact, one of the major marketing tools of the IDA in selling Ireland is the fact that we have an effective telecommunications network, one of the most up-to-date in Europe and just slightly behind France. In regard to information technology I should like to tell the Deputy that under the EC Star Programme information technology centres have been set up at Letterkenny and in the Gaeltacht areas of Bunbeg, Furbo and Dingle. They provide a wide range of information technology training and application services. Telecom have been playing a significant role in the Custom House Docks development project and plans are advanced for supplying the telecommunications need on that site. They are also involved in a new transatlantic fibre-optic cable connection outside Cork and a new Ireland/Great Britain fibre-optic cable. They are very much up-to-date on this and I should like to assure the Deputy that they are not missing any opportunity to get Ireland a major share of the telecommunications and information technology industry. I accept, as the Deputy said, that it has great potential and that is why we are putting such an effort into the software involved.
Will the Minister accept that what he has said amounts to a great deal of flannel? Is it not the case that we have no formal service agreements between Telecom Éireann and business users? Is it not the case that we do not have any modern integrated service network in Ireland and that we have the most restrictive legislation in regard to telecommunication service providers establishing here?
The Deputy will be aware that Telecom Éireann have Telecom Éireann Information Services, a subsidiary which is very active in promoting Telecom services with the private sector.
They sell equipment. Will the Minister have another look at this issue and report back to the House at a later date because I do not think he has briefed himself adequately on the potential.
The Deputy is incorrect; I have been fully briefed on this. I should like to compliment Telecom Éireann on what they have been doing and the IDA on the way they have been using the facilities of Telecom as a marketing tool for the country. However, I will have another look at this matter for the Deputy.