I agree that information technology and communications have major potential for reducing the economic distance between areas all over the globe. They are, in fact, becoming as important an instrument of economic development as road and rail have been in the past. Here in Ireland, they do afford, for example, the western part of the country the opportunity to participate in a range of new commercial opportunities such as teleservices, software and distance education-training.
In this regard, I am delighted to see that the west was so well represented in the recent Telecom Éireann's information age town competition, in which Ennis was the overall winner with Castlebar and Killarney being among the runners up. Perhaps the most important lesson from the information age town competition is that the enthusiasm and determination is there at local level to embrace the information age. What is necessary is the organisation and management skills to harness that enthusiasm and focus it on practical initiatives to make the information society part of our daily lives.
Regional objectives and targets have been developed at an overall level by various regional authorities to ensure that the regions share in industrial growth in all sectors, not just the information technology and communications areas. Key elements of policy which will assist regions, like the west to avail of these opportunities include:
—the clear mandate given by me to IDA Ireland and Forbairt to facilitate and realise a more balanced regional distribution of investment and employment opportunities,
—the development of a strategy for the teleworking industry, based on the "Telefutures" Report published last year by Forbairt and Telecom Éireann,
—the provision of extra places on courses in skills needed for these sectors,
—the encouragement of competition in the telecom infrastructural sector which is expected to accelerate the provision of broadband throughout Ireland,
