Vol. 570 No. 2
118 Mr. Cuffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the specific initiatives her Department intends to take to implement the Government's strategy for an information society, particularly with regard to the greater use of integrated ICT strategies by small and medium Irish businesses. [18594/03]
Under the Government's second information society action plan, New Connections, launched in April 2002, my Department is responsible for implementing actions in the areas of e-Business adoption, e-Government, the legal and regulatory environment, research and development and lifelong learning. The speed with which Irish companies adapt to the challenges and opportunities of e-Business will help to determine both their future prospects and the wider economic competitiveness of the country. My Department has provided support of €14 million, for specific initiatives over the last three years to encourage greater awareness and engagement by SMEs with e-business. These include the Enterprise Ireland acceleration fund, the county enterprise boards empower initiative, the chambers of commerce e-Business initiative and the ISC/IBEC eCommerce and SME masterclass awareness campaigns.
Funding is available this year for the e-Bit initiative launched by Enterprise Ireland on 19 May. Details of this initiative to prepare SMEs to take full advantage of the opportunities that e-Business can provide are available on the Enterprise Ireland website at www.enterprise-ireland.com.htm. Support is also being provided to the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland this year for a programme to provide training and advice to SMEs to help them prepare for and take advantage of the opportunities afforded by e-procurement.
My Department is continuing to develop the range of services it provides electronically, including work permits and both Patents Office and Companies Registration Office services. The BASIS, business access to State information services, project is an ongoing cross-departmental e-government initiative managed by my Department. It aims to provide an Internet-based one-stop shop for information that is relevant to the business community such as information on starting a business, environmental requirements and employing staff.
The development of a supportive legal and regulatory framework is critical for building consumer and business confidence in purchasing and supplying information society services. Last February I made regulations to give effect in Ireland to the provisions of the electronic commerce directive. These regulations provide for the free movement of information society services within the European economic area. They also contain important obligations in respect of service providers as well as essential protection for consumers of such services. My Department has also reached agreement since then with the Irish Direct Marketing Association that its members will identify unsolicited commercial communications by e-mail, sometimes referred to as "spam", as such to its recipients.
Rapid development in our research and development based technological progress, commercialisation of publicly-funded research and innovation are key contributors to our successful development as an information society. Important progress is now under way. Science Foundation Ireland is now funding research projects with a combined financial commitment of €155 million over five years. Key investments are under way across basic and applied research activities and innovation support aimed at building research and development capability and capacity in industry, including collaboration between industry and the third level sector.
