Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 January 2013
9. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the way he will meet the challenge to persuade the remaining 20% of households who are not connected to the Internet to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4757/13]
View answer25. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the contribution he is making to expanding the digital economy here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4737/13]
View answer38. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether society here is digitally complacent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4750/13]
View answer120. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to encourage greater take up of broadband in view of the estimated 426,096 households here that have no internet connection, according to the 2011 census. [5014/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 25, 38 and 120 together.
The digital economy is important to Ireland. Research by Boston Consulting Group cited in the recent UPC report on Ireland’s Digital Future, estimates it will grow from a current rate of about 3% to 6% by 2016. Research currently underway in the context of the National Digital Strategy will look further at this value and ways it might be enhanced. Specific examples of the importance and potential of the digital economy can also be cited. As Deputies are aware there is substantial employment in Ireland in the ICT and digital sectors arising from the presence of world leading companies in these areas based in Ireland. In addition, smaller indigenous companies are also making an important contribution. For example, the Digital Hub in Dublin currently caters for 66 digital enterprises, which between them employ some 800 people. More than three-quarters (78%) of these companies expanded their business operations last year, with 44% hiring additional staff. Two-thirds are planning to expand their workforce this year. In addition the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) has helped to create 155 full-time jobs and 66 part-time jobs by the end of 2012 as a direct result of the projects it has supported.
Considerable progress has been made in recent years in both the coverage and speeds of national broadband infrastructure, with a multiplicity of commercial operators providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. The Government has also undertaken a number of initiatives to bring broadband to those parts of the country where commercial operators have been unable to offer services on a commercial basis. The combination of private investment and State interventions means that Ireland has met the EU Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe target of having a basic broadband service available to all areas by 2013. The Government’s National Broadband Plan recognises that the key imperative now is to ensure high speed broadband availability to all. The Plan commits to high speed broadband availability across the country by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020.
Encouraging citizens to connect to the Internet is a separate but related challenge, and a number of public and private sector measures are already underway in this area. The most recent Central Statistics Office (CSO) statistics – published in December last - show that 19% of households do not have an Internet connection. That is not to say they cannot get an Internet connection. CSO statistics indicate that not having an Internet connection is primarily a matter of choice by those households – with respondents in those households mostly indicating they do not want or need access to the Internet. The issue therefore is substantially one of demand which underlines the importance of awareness raising.
The National Broadband Plan commits to the publication of a National Digital Strategy (NDS) aimed at stimulating demand for broadband services and connectivity. The NDS will focus on the benefits of digital engagement and will build on existing measures to increase awareness amongst citizens, households and business. As part of the strategy, I recently appointed David Puttnam as Ireland’s National Digital Champion. An important element of engaging citizens is the development of skills. The “BenefIT” schemes operated by my Department have worked in partnership with third sector and not-for-profit organisations and has provided basic skills training for over 70,000 people at over 700 locations nationwide.
My Department is also working in partnership with the Department of Education and Skills to roll out high speed broadband connectivity to all second level schools. This is already facilitating new possibilities for students and could potentially help to stimulate take up in households.
The commercial sector also has a strong role to play in stimulating demand for Internet services. The explosion in the use of smart phones and tablet devices, increased availability of applications such as video-on-demand, and initiatives by Internet services providers to make technology more accessible to targeted segments of society, will continue to impact on the level of take up. As part of the National Digital Strategy, my Department will work closely with the commercial sector to build on these initiatives, with a view to ensuring that citizens, business and communities realise more fully the potential of a digitally enabled society. I do not believe that society here is digitally complacent. The evidence shows that digital engagement continues to grow. I am, however, very conscious of the further potential and the National Digital Strategy will be looking at ways to add impetus in terms of engagement.
