Vol. 529 No. 1
296 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her plans for the development and encouragement of e-government in 2001, and the amount of money included in her Department's Estimate for this purpose in 2001. [1561/01]
My Department is supporting e-government at a number of levels. In relation to the availability of competitive services I have, in recent years, put in place a number of initiatives which seek to address gaps in communications infrastructure in Ireland, particularly those in rural areas. In 2001, for example, £20.3 million has been provided in order to leverage and accelerate investment in competitive advanced telecommunications infrastructure and services in the regions.
In 2001, my Department will also benefit from a major upgrade in facilities and training, which was undertaken last year at a cost of £1.2 million. A further £250,000 approximately will be spent in 2001 in upgrading web based materials and activities. My Department is also finalising a proposed three year programme to deliver an increasing range of our services electronically.
