Enda Kenny
Ceist:4 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach the costs which have accrued to his Department in respect of the Information Society Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32025/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 8 December 2004
Ceisteanna (4)
Freagraí ó Béal (35 píosaí cainte)
Since 1997, the Government has established two Information Society Commissions, each of which was created to act as an independent advisory body to Government on matters relating to the information society. The current commission was set up in November 2001 and is due to end its term of office on 31 December 2004. A sum of €347,961 has been spent in respect of the Information Society Commission so far this year. The figures for the previous years are as follows: 2003, €600,456; 2002, €514,954; 2001, €305,638; 2000, €635,726; 1999, €661,645; 1998, €647,832; and 1997, €195,122.
During its term of office, the commission has published a number of influential reports on a range of topics and conducted a number of policy seminars. As it comes to the end of its remit, I take this opportunity to thank the members for their hard work, commitment and freely-given expertise over the last three years.
Will the Government appoint another commission? If so, when will the appointment take place? Does the Government believe that the work of the commission has represented good value for money? How many reports has the Government received and has it acted on those reports?
The commission will report to me shortly. We have not made a decision as to what the follow-up to the commission should be. Such a decision would be premature because I wish to hear what the commission members have to say. The commission, which included representatives from the social partners, experts and so on, has done tremendous work on a voluntary basis. I reiterate my previous assertion that my plan for the next two years is to consider new connections, examine the commission report and consider the best approach.
Technology is a fast-moving and agile area and there is a number of aspects to consider. One is the need to promote innovation. We have spoken about creating an island of ingenuity and our objective must be to develop a unique competitive advantage for Ireland. We have already shown our excellence as a knowledge society and must continue to create an environment for innovation. Our job in the Department of the Taoiseach is to plan and develop strategy in this area.
Another objective is to concentrate on usage rather than just technology. A stronger focus should be given to meaningful use and content. We must also ensure that our policies are inclusive. In this context, I highlight the needs of elderly people whose independence can be preserved through access to technology. In addition, I have had the privilege of working with organisations for persons with disabilities since my appointment, including Enable Ireland and the National Disability Authority. Much good work is ongoing in this regard. Another element of our policy is to encourage community involvement. As Deputy Stanton is aware, the Mo Bhaile project is progressing well. Our aim is to facilitate local authorities in involving communities in e-Government.
Another area worthy of examination by the Oireachtas is the issue of e-democracy. The websites of the Scottish and British Parliaments indicate the good work done in those jurisdictions in establishing a connection between public administration and citizens through information technology. We can do much work in this area. Improved access to information is the lifeblood of democracy. This is an issue I will explore in conjunction with the Whips. Enough reports have been produced to allow us to move forward with a good agenda.
The Minister of State says that competitiveness is important. How can he expect a higher usage of broadband services when Ireland has the highest charges in Europe? The Information Society Commission recently published a report, 21st Century Infrastructure, which stated that Ireland was "seriously lagging behind our competitors in Europe in relation to penetration". Broadband penetration is one fifth of the average penetration in other European countries. If penetration were on a par, we would have 300,000 more users. I ask the Minister of State, who has direct responsibility for information technology, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations in the commission's report.
It might be more appropriate for Deputy Allen to address his question to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
The Minister of State has direct responsibility in the area of broadband uptake.
The Department of the Taoiseach is responsible for co-ordinating the continued development of the information society, promoting and implementing the Government action plan on new connections and ensuring that information society issues are appropriately prioritised across all Departments. I represent Ireland at European and other international fora in this area. However, the issues raised by Deputy Allen are primarily the responsibility of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dempsey, but I say on his behalf that the Government has taken a proactive approach to the roll-out of broadband.
As the commission acknowledged in its statement, there have been significant policy developments in regard to broadband, including the completion of the pathfinder phase of the metropolitan area network, MAN, project, a commitment to extending the provision of open access infrastructure to all population centres in excess of 1,500, the development of a group broadband scheme to promote the aggregation of local broadband, and a series of policy directions from the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to ComReg which focus on the delivery of competitive broadband pricing.
We acknowledge there is much work to be done in this area and I will be working closely with the Minister to achieve our objectives. Deputy Allen is correct that the infrastructure must be in place to allow Ireland to continue to move forward as a competitive knowledge economy.
Does the Minister acknowledge that Ireland has lacked direction completely in the area of e-Government? When his predecessor, Minister Hanafin, left her post, many people in the electronic and information technology industries made clear the need for a more dynamic approach across all sectors of Government. This is the challenge facing the Minister of State. Unlike Britain, for example, we have no e-envoy to directly co-ordinate the delivery of electronic services. What programme of action is the Minister of State prepared to take with regard to that important part of his portfolio? I remind the Minister of State that, initially, we were not even sure he was the e-Minister. The Taoiseach, apparently, forgot he had one.
Has the Minister of State any views on the open source operating systems in Departments? Many jurisdictions in the European Union and elsewhere are moving to open source systems but the Minister of State's predecessor, Deputy Hanafin, appears to have decided that it is Microsoft or nothing.
Good old Bill Gates.
I do not accept that we have not seen progress on e-Government. I recently attended the launch of the Irish e-Government awards. The rate at which people are dealing with Government on-line is truly phenomenal. The figures speak for themselves. A total of 157,000 self-employed people, 53%, made returns on-line to the Revenue Commissioners last month. Up to the end of October, more than 370,000 transactions had taken place on the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government motor tax website, involving the payment of more than €81 million. Since its launch in 2000, Revenue on-line services now handle more than 53% of income tax returns on-line. Customers have access to their own Revenue account using the customer information service. On a single day in November, there were more than 40,000 on-line inquiries. Much progress has been made.
I will consult colleagues with regard to my ideas for e-democracy in the Oireachtas. I hope to do that over the coming weeks. We have begun the process of e-Cabinet, using technology to take much of the paper out of our own procedures within Government.
I will revert to Deputy Broughan on his question on Microsoft and where that matter is at present.
One of the reasons for maintaining and renewing the remit of the Information Society Commission would be to have an independent stand-alone agency to help foster the idea of e-Government. Last week, for example, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government website was down for several days. There are variations between Department as to when they release information, either in printed and electronic form. Yesterday, for example, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government released leaflets but did not put the same leaflets on the Department's website.
Not keeping this control within the Government itself would be a good idea. There is a need for an independent stand-alone outside agency to make sure standards are laid down and maintained. As things stand — this is not a reflection on the Minister of State's office — there are significant variations between Departments.
The Deputy makes a valid point. I will not make a final decision on this matter until I have heard from the commission. I will hear its recommendations shortly. The suggestion that we should have an independent forum overseeing the introduction of e-Government is valid.
I want to be inclusive in every sense in dealing with this agenda over the coming two years. One of the first things I want to do is work with colleagues in the Oireachtas on how we conduct our business and connect with our public as Members of the Oireachtas.
I maintain an open mind as to how we proceed from here. I do not yet have a definitive view on it. Some things obviously need to be done. I think we all agree that the policies in the coming months and years should be inclusive. I mention, in particular, dealing with the elderly and the disabled and trying to ensure that as many people as possible can use technology. Technology should be used for the right reasons and not simply for the sake of using it. We can be practical about this.
Is the Minister going to appoint another commission? What is his intention?
The community application of information technology initiative, CAIT, was successful but was not maintained. The commission has recommended that a successor to that initiative be appointed. Has the Government any plans in that area?
Would the Government consider putting Internet access into rural post offices? There are rural areas where people find it difficult to get access to the Internet.
The commission is about to report to me in the next few days. It would be wrong of me to make a decision or to inform the House as to how we should proceed until I have heard from the commission. I have not made a decision but the Deputy will be hearing from me.
The Minister of State might send him an e-mail.
I have made public statements and have said at various fora that I will be taking the next month, or at most two months, to plan forward. I will be doing that in consultation with my colleagues. Much research has been done, information gathered and reports made. It would not be proper to set up another commission just for the sake of doing so.
I agree with Deputy Stanton that we must involve rural communities in information technology. I am particularly impressed with the Mo Bhaile project involving local authorities reaching out to their local communities. That is being done on a pilot basis and could be extended.
Much good work is being done and I pay tribute to the commission. It would be wrong of me to outline precisely the follow-up to the commission a few days before it reports. I will make an announcement when we are sure of the way forward. This is a fast moving and agile area. We should be flexible in how we proceed.
Information technology is very important and its cost must be considered. We already have much information. For example, we know from the mid-term Indecon review that only 69% investment has been made in roads in the BMW region while there has been 134% investment in roads in the south and east regions. We know that 20 million people use Cork and Dublin airports, which are totally congested and access is at an ass and cart pace. On the other hand, this year's projected passenger numbers for Knock Airport are 400,000. Would it not make more sense to give the €40 million which Knock Airport needs to bring it onto a par with Cork and Dublin airports and allow it to be competitive so we can keep our children locally?
That question would be more appropriately put to the line Minister responsible for that area.
As someone who hails from the west, I am aware of the progress made there and the number of people returning to the west.
Knock Airport needs €40 million.
The Minister of State might go back over Christmas and take a look at it.
Come home, Tom. Come home.
We will light a candle in the window.
I am anxious to see how we can involve as many people as possible in this exciting area, particularly those who are marginalised. Many of us who have moved from the west are conscious of the needs of that region. It should be part of our policy to reach out to every part of Ireland, particularly to the less advantaged regions, and to all age groups and sectors of society.
Having regard to the information available to him, is the Minister of State concerned at the extent to which the advancement of technology in Ireland has lost pace with our competitors throughout the European Union? Has an indication been given of how best the provision of advanced technology could catch up with competitors, having due regard to the competition and its negative impact on the business and domestic sector unless we catch up very quickly?
I have already spoken of the need to invest in broadband and I have outlined what my colleague is doing in that area. We cannot afford to lose pace on this.
We have lost pace.
The Minister of State's colleague is not doing things quickly enough. He has "the slows".
Many Ministers are involved in this project, particularly the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The Minister for Education and Science also has a key role. The Estimates and the Budget Statement demonstrate considerable investment in science and technology. Across a wide range of Departments, the Government is committed to keeping ahead in this area.
When I was Minister of State with responsibility for overseas development we did much useful work in trying to share our expertise in this area with the developing world. It was acknowledged internationally that Ireland has a strong role in this area. The Government is determined to maintain that role and to move forward.
Moving forward is right.
Does the Minister consider that customer service has collapsed in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform? The public and Members of the House who have queries can spend hours trying to access the immigration section of the Department. Does the Department not need some electronic assistance? Claim applications and visa application appeals should be published on a website that could be accessed certainly by Members of this House. Given that confidentiality could be maintained through reference only to a claim number the information could also be accessed by members of the public. Thousands of people are in the system——
Perhaps a question to the line Minister would be more appropriate.
It is relevant to the Minister of State as he was discussing electronic information within the Department.
While I will allow the Minister of State to answer, a detailed question can be submitted to the line Minister.
I would be glad to raise the matter with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and revert to the Deputy.