James Lawless
Question:87. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the role his Department will play in Harnessing Digital - The Digital Ireland Framework. [6804/22]
View answerThursday, 10 February 2022
Questions (87)
Written answers
Last week the Government launched the new National Digital Strategy called Harnessing Digital - The Digital Ireland Framework.
The Strategy sets out a high-level framework to support our ambition for Ireland to be a digital leader, at the heart of European and global digital developments.
Implementation of the National Digital Strategy, and relevant EU and regulatory issues, will be overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Recovery and Investment, chaired by the Tánaiste, and supported by official led sub-groups namely, the Digital Issues Senior Officials’ Group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, and the Digital Single Market Group, chaired by my Department.
This will allow disparate elements of the digital agenda to be progressed under a coherent work programme, led by my Department.
My Department has specific responsibility for the implementation of the Digitalisation of Business dimension of the National Digital Strategy.
There are a number of key deliverables across this dimension, such as:
- Developing a comprehensive programme to drive digitalisation across enterprise including funding from the €85 million Digital Transition Fund under the NRRP),
- Raising awareness and providing advice and assistance to SMEs, by working with enterprise agencies;
- Supporting the development of workforce skills in SMEs to support digital adoption, including promoting the benefits of workplace training; and
- Developing and enhancing digital platforms for the delivery of the Local Enterprise Offices’ supports.
As a Government we will also:
- Through the public procurement process, support innovative digital start-ups and SMEs;
- Direct more Government equity investment into digital start-ups;
- Develop the ecosystem for ambitious digital entrepreneurs, and promote the creation of testbeds and regulatory sandboxes for AI and other digital technologies;
- Establish Ireland’s European Digital Innovation Hubs in 2022; and establish a National AI Cluster in 2022 to drive collaboration and spill-over between MNCs and SMEs; and
- Work to remove barriers across the EU’s Single Market to improve market access for digital services.
A key priority for me is to ensure the needs and voices of enterprise are heard, and in the coming weeks I will establish and chair the new Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum to inform and assist Government's work in this area.