Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2005
92 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position in regard to his consideration of the report of the enterprise strategy group; if the Government has decided not to implement certain recommendations of the report; the recommendations in respect of which decisions have been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18024/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government considered and endorsed the report of the high level committee that was asked to look at the most appropriate implementation arrangements for the enterprise strategy group, ESG, recommendations. The Government broadly supports the policy directions recommended by the group as underlined by its intention to implement, either in full or with some modifications, most of the ESG recommendations. Details of the position in relation to these recommendations are set out in the action plan which I announced on 4 May and which can be downloaded from my Department's website — www.entemp.ie/enterprise/support/esgactionplan.htm.
As regards recommendations which it is specifically not intended to implement, we have decided not to implement the recommendation that existing regulators for networked sectors should be replaced by a new regulatory body covering all networked sectors. In looking at international experience, the Government remains to be convinced that regulatory amalgamation on the scale proposed would be an efficient model. For example, there is a danger that a single regulator could give rise to slower decision making and have less focus on smaller sectors compared with more dominant ones. This is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
The Government decided to consider further the potential for the disaggregation of State procurement contracts for telecommunication services and my colleagues, the Ministers for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and Finance, will deal with this matter.
The ESG's report makes a valuable contribution to making sure we have the vision to develop the most suitable policies to cater for the new realities and challenges facing the economy. The ESG policy prescriptions are particularly relevant to my Department and the enterprise support agencies that report to me. As part of the process of making important policy adjustments on foot of the ESG policy prescriptions, I asked Enterprise Ireland to rethink how it could better support indigenous firms in managing the challenges of enterprise growth and globalisation. This process culminated in a new strategic direction for the agency that I launched at the beginning of the month.
