Vol. 496 No. 6
133 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the Government's proposals, if any, to have Ireland achieve full benefit from the agreement signed with President Clinton to make Ireland the European centre for electronic commerce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23424/98]
On 4 September last, the Taoiseach and President Clinton digitally signed a US Ireland Joint Comminiqué on Electronic Commerce which identifies shared principles and points of common interest held by Ireland and the US in relation to the development of electronic commerce, and which identifies specific areas where increased co-operation between the two countries might take place. Since then the Government has moved to ensure that the vision outlined at the digital signing of making Ireland a European electronic commerce hub becomes a reality. Specific actions taken include: the introduction of full competition in the telecommunications market from 1 December 1998 through waiving of the existing derogation; the sale of Cablelink and the initial public offering of Telecom Éireann in order to foster competition in the domestic telecommunications market; the introduction of primary legislation to promote infrastructural development; the establishment of a public private partnership to enhance Ireland's international connectivity to global Internet networks; and the publishing of a Framework for a National Policy on Cryptography and Digital Signatures. It is intended that a Bill on this issue will be published early in 1999.
Finally, the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications, which I established in June of this year with a mandate to advise the Government on how to position Ireland to capitalise on the growth in electronic commerce, will present its report to the Taoiseach tomorrow, Wednesday, 18 November 1998. The report will be published shortly thereafter. It is intended that further actions will be taken in the light of this report.
