Charles Flanagan
Question:9 Mr. Flanagan asked the Taoiseach the reason for the delay in appointing the board of the Information Society Commission. [23053/01]
Ceisteanna – Questions. - Information Society Commission.
Michael Noonan
Question:10 Mr. Noonan asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the recent work of the Information Society Commission. [23520/01]
Michael Noonan
Question:11 Mr. Noonan asked the Taoiseach the names and occupations of the persons appointed by him to the Information Society Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23521/01]
Ruairí Quinn
Question:12 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the progress made to date by the Information Society Commission; when a new board will be appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23721/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 12, inclusive, together.
I have agreed the composition of a new Information Society Commission, and will be announcing its membership very shortly.
In its final report at the end of last year the outgoing commission made a range of recommendations to Government in terms of taking the information society agenda forward. Building on these recommendations, the Government decided last June to implement a range of measures to give further impetus to the development of the information society.
Among the measures instituted is the establishment of a Cabinet committee on the information society to address the wide range of issues involved. The Government has also established an e-strategy group of secretaries general to drive the process forward and ensure information society issues receive the highest priority in the relevant Departments.
Progress continues to be made in implementing the information society action plan, and this work is supported by the Government's information society fund. This is providing funding of over 147 million, £116 million, to support action plan initiatives for the period 2000-02.
Work has already commenced on preparation of a second action plan to take the work forward. The Information Society Commission will have an important contribution to make in shaping the plan and advising the Government generally on priorities in the plan. It is expected that the second action plan will be published early in the new year.
The Government is satisfied that the new structures now in place will greatly enhance ongoing formulation and implementation of policy on a wide range of issues that increasingly cut across traditional departmental boundaries. The new commission will have a key role in shaping the public policy framework for the evolving information society in Ireland. Like its predecessor, it will act as an independent advisory body, reporting directly to me, and draw on high level representation from the business community, the social partners and Government.
The fact that there has not been an Information Society Commission or a commissioner for almost 12 months is indicative of delay on the part of Government, which is somewhat less than acceptable. Notwithstanding the Taoiseach's comments about a further action plan, what is needed to ensure we bridge the digital divide is a co-ordinating body under the stewardship of one Minister. I ask the Taoiseach to give consideration to the appointment of a Minister of State with overall responsibility for co-ordinating the e-commerce regime. Most European states have at least a Minister with specific responsibility for this area. Without a Minister with responsibility for this area or an Information Society Commission, it is no surprise that Ireland has slipped in world ranking from a top ten position to No. 20 in the league table. This delay of almost a year is giving rise to concern on the part of business and enterprise. Does the Taoiseach accept he should act far more hastily in this regard?
On the main point made by the Deputy, I acknowledge that a number of Parliaments have appointed a Minister, Parliamentary Secretary or whatever title they use to deal with this particular issue. The first commission finished its work, but issued a long list of recommendations, which I outlined previously, which it believed should be put in place. It also recommended that we should prepare the work necessary for the second report before we actually put a commission in place. Its view was that it had signed off at a particular level and that all these issues should be addressed. That has happened and we now have a work programme for the second commission. I appreciate the work put in by the first commission. It wanted to ensure we signed off on the first action programme and completed the work involved across Departments and agencies, although mainly in the Departments of Public Enterprise, Finance, Education and Science and other Departments. It took some time, perhaps too long, for people to get a handle on this.
On the question of e-government, I agree with the Deputy and understand there is a question on that matter. An amount of work is being done in the area. It is being driven by a Secretary General in the Government office who is working on the issue and shaping the agenda with outside consultants. Of course, the Department of Public Enterprise is responsible for a certain amount of the work highlighted in the report. The Secretary General in that Department who is, thankfully, quite expert in these areas, has also been driving the agenda. We have followed to the letter of the law the proposals set out by the outgoing Information Society Commission. Its board was a very active group and I hope the new group of people being appointed will act with the same gusto and take the matter forward.
The Deputy made the point that this area is changing and moving on. There is no doubt this is the case. A number of countries are spending enormous sums of money on it. There is a huge drive for change, broadband connectivity, new services and new ideas. This applies to Ireland as well although it may not be to the same extent in terms of money given the enormous budgets available in other countries. A report published in the past two weeks puts Ireland to the forefront in some aspects of this. The benchmarking is carried out in different ways and in different areas. We show up very well in some areas and not so well in others. The task is to try to achieve as high as we possibly can across all areas and use the substantial sums of money we are allocating for this to the best of our ability.
Does the Taoiseach agree that one of the more significant failures of the Government is the failure to roll out the broadband system, that we are at the bottom of the league table of OECD countries and that outside the greater Dublin area there is no access to broadband at competitive prices? In many parts of the country there is no broadband access and in areas such as the mid-west where there is access it is at three times the cost available in Dublin and is not viable. Broadband access is becoming essential for the retention of industry and its promotion in the regions. We have about 18 months to get this matter right. I ask the Taoiseach to take a personal interest in it because the plans the Government adopted three or four years ago are not being put into effect and those committed to rolling out broadband services have withdrawn from their commitments.
Broadband access is available unevenly. The two or three companies involved—
This is one for the books. It is a very elegant way of saying one cannot get it in many parts of the country.
Maybe it is not available in parts of the country, but it is certainly—
The Taoiseach is giving a classic "Yes, Minister" reply.
It has been rolled out in many places during the year. I saw it rolled out in Mayo and Donegal.
Not at a competitive cost.
The costs are high. However one of the biggest operations of Global Crossing, which is one of the main broadband companies in Europe, is in this country. The Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, who is responsible for this area, announced the broadband programme for around the regions in mid-summer.
That inspires a great deal of confidence.
The programme for this was announced. Broadband is not in every parish in this country or any other country.
Will it be made available outside Dublin at competitive prices?
The costs are competitive. Broadband is getting more and more competitive. Prices are being slashed continually around Europe. Global Crossing, one of Europe's biggest operators, is working in this country on our main broadband operation. I am not sure of the precise size of the network as I do not deal with it every day. It has, however, been extended to the regions. The more it is extended, the more competitive it becomes. The argument is that the only way one drives competition is to bring in greater numbers of companies and allow them access to this sector.
This is a serious issue. The Taoiseach is waffling.
I am not waffling. I am saying that we have three companies involved in broadband connectivity. One of the biggest in all of Europe is Global Crossing, the company that is driving the process here with another company based in the technology centre on the Naas road. I cannot remember its name. They are both superb, high-tech companies whose main aim is to press broadband here. While they do not have a total network around the country, if the Deputy tables a question to the Minister for Public Enterprise, he will discover that broadband connectivity is relatively good in terms of where it was. The reason it is not cheaper is that there is not enough competition in the market. Compe tition only comes when more companies enter, but they cannot be forced to do so. That is the position.
Will the Taoiseach indicate if he has decided who to appoint to the new membership of the Information Commission and, if so, can he announce the names now?
I can certainly circulate the names as the list has been cleared by the Cabinet. There are 21 people on the commission. I will circulate the list to the Deputy.
I regard this as a very serious issue and I am not trying to score a political point by bringing it up. It is something in which the Taoiseach should get involved. Broadband access in Ireland is available at a much lower level than in other countries of similar aspirations and industrial development. We are bottom of the league table at this stage. The companies which contracted to roll out the service have withdrawn and if the Tánaiste, who is present in the House, were to check with the IDA – as I am sure she already has – she would find that outside the greater Dublin area very significant companies are stating that if they do not have broadband services at competitive prices within two years, their competitive position will be eroded. In the light of this will the Taoiseach take a personal interest in the roll-out of broadband services? It is the most serious emerging lack in our infrastructure.
My question related to the same point, which I do not want to repeat. It referred to the digital divide that has emerged. Is the Taoiseach aware that the Secretary General of the Department of Public Enterprise, to whom he referred last week, advised the Committee of Public Accounts that the current broadband network is 50% under-utilised? We seem to have got it quite badly wrong. If we are to stay competitive, this must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
This matter comes under the remit of the Department of Public Enterprise and I will communicate with the Minister. Two of the top companies in the sector referred to by Deputies have operations here. They have rolled out broadband commercially. The price they originally quoted in the summer of 1999 was undercut in other countries because there are more companies in those markets. During the summer of this year the Minister for Public Enterprise announced a scheme for rolling out broadband to various parts of the country, including areas highlighted by Enterprise Ireland and the IDA. I do not know if there are still other areas uncatered for that have been demanding it or if there are capacity issues. That information would have to be sought from the Minister for Public Enterprise. I will look into what Deputy Noonan asked me to do.