I will be concluding the session at 10.30 a.m. but I will allow Deputy Naughten to put his question.
Thursday, 19 May 2022
Ceisteanna (15)
Freagraí ó Béal (8 píosaí cainte)
Denis Naughten
Ceist:15. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will outline the work that his Department is undertaking to fully utilise broadband connectivity in increasing sustainable employment given that Ireland is set to become one of the most connected countries in Europe for fibre broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23493/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBy June 2020, 58% of Irish households could access broadband speeds of 1 Gbps and we will have 100% of such coverage in the coming years. There will be 146,000 km of fibre-optic cable, a web of such cable with a geographic spread like none other globally. We must exploit this investment and generate foreign direct investment jobs in every single village in Ireland.
Digital infrastructure is one of the four dimensions of the Government's national digital strategy, which I launched in February of this year. The new strategy sets out specific targets, including: 75% enterprise take-up of cloud, big data, and artificial intelligence, AI, by 2030; and 90% of small and medium enterprises at a basic level of digital intensity by 2030.
A robust broadband infrastructure will be vital in reaching these targets, enabling businesses to take advantage of digital technologies and to increase sustainable employment. The Deputy will also be aware of the national artificial intelligence strategy, which sets out how Ireland can be an international leader in using artificial intelligence, AI, to benefit our economy and society through a people-centred, ethical approach to its development, adoption and use. Last week, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, appointed Dr. Patricia Scanlon as Ireland's first AI ambassador. I know she wants to demystify artificial intelligence and promote the positive impacts it can have in areas such as health, agriculture, transport and education.
The adoption of digital technologies by all businesses, in particular SMEs, is vital to sustain Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for leading digital enterprises and maximise the benefits of the digital transition for the wider ecosystem across productivity, innovation and competitiveness. In addition to facilitating the uptake of digital technologies, broadband connectivity facilitates remote working for employees.
Our overall digital connectivity target, as outlined in the national digital strategy, is to ensure that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a gigabit network service no later than 2028, with all populated areas covered by 5G by no later than 2030. This digital connectivity will in turn enable the Government's policy priority of regional enterprise development. We now have nine new regional enterprise plans in place, which will encourage collaboration among stakeholders to strengthen the regional offering for enterprise and therefore create an environment for successful economic development, sustainable employment and growth across the country.
We have a significant opportunity to attract foreign direct investment and staff into our provincial towns and rural areas. They are nice communities in which to live and work. That is thanks to investment through the urban and rural regeneration funds. We need to market and promote the whole package and not just a select few sites in a select few towns.
We need a unique marketing strategy for every one of our provincial towns, highlighting not just the industrial aspect but the opportunities to live, recreational opportunities and the connectivity that we have not just in our provincial towns but moving out to the rural communities. We need a very focused national and international strategy to bring in that investment.
I hear what the Deputy is saying and he has made some very valid points. I meet and engage with many multinational companies all the time. Believe you me, they know what they want and they are very clear about it. Generally it is to build their own campus. They want to be very near an international airport with major conductivity. They want to be near several universities. They want to have a workforce of 1 million or 2 million close to where they develop. It is not so much us telling them what they should want; it is them telling us what they want. We compete internationally for this investment.
It is the staff who will tell them in future and we need to attract the staff.
That is true and a very good example of this is Apple, which has a major facility on the north side of Cork but 20% of its staff work remotely from all parts of Ireland and Munster. It is a very good model. In the world we operate in, where we are competing internationally for investment, it is largely them telling us what they want. They will go elsewhere if we tell them what they should want.
Are we attracting the ones that will do that?