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Hanafin to head the Information Society
Friday, June 07 2002
by Matthew Clark


Although Mary Hanafin, TD, is not Ireland's new E-Minister, the government has
responded to industry pressure and put her in charge of Information Society
plans.

On Thursday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, TD, announced details of what shape his new
cabinet will take, and many of the appointments are of particular interest to the
information and communications technology (ICT) sector. Tanaiste Mary Harney, TD,
will remain Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Charlie McCreevy,
TD, will stay on as Minister for Finance. 



But there are some changes in the cabinet, including the appointment of Seamus
Brennan, TD, to the role of Minister for Public Enterprise. Additionally, Dermot
Ahern, TD, will be the new Minister for Communications and Natural Resources. 



In fact, Ahern's role will see him take on a position that now has authority over
telecommunications, broadcasting and energy, giving him power to implement the
changes set to take place in the Office of the Director Of Telecommunications
Regulation as part of the recently passed Communications Bill. 



But Mary Hanafin, the new Chief Whip, may have the most difficult task of all. It
will be her responsibility to head up the "vast programme of change" that the
previous government announced, designed to further enhance Ireland's position as
a global ICT leader. The so-called Information Society plan set forth a programme
that includes the roll-out of cheap broadband, comprehensive e-government and
educational infrastructure so that Ireland's citizens can utilise these new
resources. 



Therefore, Hanafin will be charged with co-ordinating many of the activities of
various government ministers to see that the plan takes effect. Such a role,
often referred to as Ireland's E-Minister, was called for by multiple industry
groups in the run-up to the election, including the Association of Licensed
Telecommunications Operators (ALTO), the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and the
National Competitiveness Council. 



"We would be a bit disappointed that the Information Society plan will not be
implemented by a full minister," said Iarla Flynn, chairman of ALTO. "But on
the other hand, it does show that Bertie is committed to seeing the plan rolled
out. Generally we definitely think that the appointment of Hanafin, a very
capable minister, is an improvement," Flynn told ElectricNews.Net. 



"We do think the government has listened to industry and we are reasonably
satisfied with the results," he added. 



With regard to Dermot Ahern's appointment, Flynn said that ALTO was pleased with
the move and the consolidation of communications responsibility into one area.
However, ALTO also urged Ahern to quickly appoint the new commission for
communication regulation, which he described as a very important step that
"should be taken right away." 



Meanwhile, Colm Butler, head of the Information Society Policy Division within
the department of the Taoiseach, admitted that there was a need for a more
focused political leader with regard to Information Society plans. "You could
say that Mary Hanafin is filling that slot," Butler commented. He went on to
speculate that Hanafin would probably want to take the mystery out of what has
come to be known as the Information Society, so that all citizens can better
understand what the technology will do for them and how it will work.



Hanafin is a Fianna Fail TD from Dun Laoghaire who in 2000 was promoted to the
position of Minister of State at the Departments of Health and Children, Justice,
Equality and Law Reform, and Education and Science, with special responsibility
for Children. In November 2000, the government expanded her role to oversee the
co-ordination of all government policies for children and the implementation of
the National Children's Strategy. 



And although she has little political experience with regard to technology and
the Information Society, it is thought that she was selected for her new post due
the experience she gained co-ordinating activities in multiple government
departments as Minister for Children.