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Another call made for E-Minister
Thursday, May 23 2002
by Matthew Clark


As part of its plan to develop Ireland's knowledge economy, the National
Competitiveness Council has called for the appointment of a Minister for
E-Business. 

   







Like many other industry groups in Ireland, Forfas' National Competitiveness
Council said it is concerned about the limited availability and the high cost of
broadband for small businesses here. The group is also worried about what it
characterised as the government's disjointed approach to the development of the
knowledge economy and Ireland's Information Society.





Subsequently, the NCC has launched an action plan to address these issues. The
group's plan is designed to accelerate e-business take-up in Ireland and to drive
the development and roll-out of broadband. The plan is also designed to sustain
Ireland's international reputation as a leading digital society and knowledge
economy.



The first element of this plan was to call on Ireland's new government to appoint
an E-Minister who would have the power to promote and maintain Ireland's
e-business and Information Society goals. The group suggests that the proposed
minister would be assigned under the Department of the Taoiseach with
cross-departmental authority, and could co-ordinate actions under the recently
established Cabinet Committee on the Information Society. 





This minister would also oversee the implementation of the National Broadband
Investment Initiative and would look after the work of a National Broadband
Planning Body, if established. The NCC envisions that he or she would also
co-ordinate e-government initiatives including the Reach agency and the
government's e-procurement strategy. 



The National Broadband Planning Body that the Council speaks of would also be a
new organisation, which, according to the NCC, would manage, and co-ordinate the
National Broadband Investment Initiative to see broadband technology become more
accessible to homes and small businesses. 





Other initiatives proposed by the NCC included the development of Ireland's
Internet exchanges to world class standards, the increase of competition on
backbone data networks and the transpondance of all EU telecom directives related
to the Information Society. 





The NCC has also called on the government to promote wireless technologies, issue
national regulations for road opening by telecom operators and extend universal
service to always-on Internet access, namely ISDN. 



"While recognising that much has been achieved, there is no room for
complacency if Ireland is to keep pace with competitor countries," Brian
Patterson, chairman of the NCC, said in a statement. "Throughout the world,
governments are putting new policies into place to capture the exceptional
opportunities for economic and social progress that e-business provides. Ireland
has the capacity to harness these opportunities fully for all its citizens, if
our institutional structures are aligned with, and are capable of responding
quickly and effectively," he added. 





The NCC is not the first organisation to call for an e-minister. Both ALTO (the
Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators) and the Dublin Chamber of
Commerce have made similar requests to the government, hoping to address the same
issues as the NCC. 





The National Competitiveness Council, a government agency, reports to the
Taoiseach on competitiveness issues for the Irish economy.  Forfas, the
national policy and advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and
innovation, provides the Council's secretariat.