I thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, and the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important matter.
This House, the public and the reputation of Ireland stand seriously indicted as a result of what happened with our telecommunications services last Friday. I cannot emphasise enough how unprecedented the systems failure was and how inadequate Eircom handled this matter. Not only did we not receive a proper apology, but we did not receive a proper explanation on why the backup systems did not operate when the computer software failed or why there is no emergency procedure to allow a group of licensed telecommunications operators to work together.
The Minister for Public Enterprise, who is quick to be available for photo opportunities with shining new buses and for announcements about call centres, could not be found when this debacle occurred. It was left to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to issue a stern rebuke to Eircom. This issue relates to public policy. Just because we do not own shares in Eircom does not mean we can wash our hands of political responsibility and accountability.
What infrastructural investment is required to ensure this cock-up does not happen again? The central spine of industrial policy is not to get engineering or food manufacturing jobs but to get information technology. The Minister has paraded around the world discussing e-commerce. E-commerce, faxes, telephones, e-mails and the Internet cannot function if we have systems failure. If there is any question about the reliability of our telecommunications infrastructure, Ireland's reputation for the location of call centres will be put in jeopardy. IDA Ireland was the first to express its deep alarm at the consequences of this failure from an international perspective.
I ask the Minister to include a provision in the new legislation relating to the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation to deal with customer complaints and compensation. Eircom has not spoken about its obligations to people whose reservation systems collapsed at peak hours of business on Friday afternoon, the busiest day of the week. Their losses are verifiable and they must be compensated.
A procedure must be put in place so that Esat, Ocean, Eircell and all licensed operators can work together to provide adequate backup so that this problem does not arise again. A public information system should be established so that people know there is a systems failure and a proper system of compensation must be put in place. Lessons about computerised technology and fibre optic cable must be learned from this debacle. We cannot afford this type of systems failure if we want our Celtic tiger economy to move forward.
This was a black Friday for Eircom. It has still not accounted properly for what happened, apologised adequately to the public or made any attempt to compensate those who recorded losses. I look forward to the Minister's reply because we must ensure this debacle, shambles and disgrace does not happen again.