I was very disappointed to hear, earlier this year, that despite the best efforts of IDA Ireland, Microsoft had decided not to relocate its European Internet "Mirror Site" in Ireland.
The decision was taken because of concerns that real competitive conditions and the necessary industry infrastructure did not exist in the Irish telecommunications market. One important consideration for Internet service providers is the complex software facilities and contractual arrangements which allow individual providers to interrelate and to work together to enhance the overall level of service. In the case of Microsoft, there was concern that Ireland was not in a position to offer all of the necessary arrangements in this regard. A key element of any strategy to counter such perceived deficiencies is the attraction of major international players into the market. My Department continues to collaborate closely with all the relevant Government Departments and with the industrial development agencies in this regard.
The Government's recent decisions to sell Cablelink and to end the Telecom Éireann monopoly on voice telephony are important initiatives in the development of Ireland's telecommunications infrastructure. They will contribute in large part to removing any negative perception of Ireland from a regulatory standpoint as well as to introducing truly competitive conditions into the marketplace. The provision of such competition is necessary if we are to secure the improvements in the quality of service and the lower prices that will in turn enhance Ireland's attraction as a location for future investment by the major international players in the world of electronic commerce.