Ireland's Minister For Public Enterprise Announces New Communications And E-Commerce Action Plan

by Robert Lee, Tax-news.com, London

24 May 2001

Ireland's Minister for Public Enterprise, Mary O’ Rourke, has announced a 10 point strategy to underpin and expand public policy in relation to communications and e-commerce. The plan, detailing a series of initiatives over the next 18 months, is designed to boost the country’s aspirations within the digital economy, where there is little room for complacency, said the Minister.

The plan is a mix of infrastrucural and regulatory policy initiatives, which aims to build on the E-Commerce Act passed last year, the international fibre optic capacity deal completed two years ago and the regional digital infrastructural initiatives.

The Minister stated: 'I do not want to run the risk of Ireland resting on past achievements. I want to set challenging policy objectives in the short term. There is a need to instigate an urgent search for excellence and opportunity and to project a dynamic presence for Ireland at a time of significant change in the global digital marketplace.'

Heading up the ten point plan is international connectivity. Ireland’s international capacity deal with Global Crossing has been extended to cover North America (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, Dallas, Boston and Chicago) and Asia (Toyko and Hong Kong). A link to Singapore will be negotiated in due course.The extension of this deal to South America and beyond has also been agreed in principle with Global Crossing Inc. Moreover, annual operation and maintenance charges on existing European routes have been reduced by over 40 per cent.

The plan also provides for improvements to regional broadband infrastructure. As a result of the first call for proposals under the E-Commerce Infrastructure Measure of the National Development, approximately IR£200m worth of infrastructural investment is underway. This investment should be completed by the end of next year. In addition, afeasibility study is underway on the establishment of public/private partnership to build and operate an Atlantic infrastructure corridor in Ireland from North West to South West. The feasibility study will also examine the extension of networks under the National Development Plan, investment in regional points of presence and support to local authorities and regional development agencies for the rollout of infrastructure. Proposals on this will be put before the government before the end of June 2001. The e-commerce infrastructure measure of the National Development Plan (approximately IR£100m remains in the fund) will be opened up on an ongoing basis from end June 2001, and the aim of achieving a total investment of up to IR£1bn in regional broadband infrastructure up to 2006 remains in place.

Third on the plan is benchmarking e-commerce legislation against the best regulatory and legislative models, and a report will be published in June 2001. The Minister will follow up that report with the necessary initiatives before the end of September 2001. The Minister is also publishing a users’ guide to the Electronic Commerce Act 2000.

A high level international group of experts has been established to report on Irish knowledge economy strategy and priorities for policy action within six months. The first meeting of this group has taken place this week.

The Department for Public Enterprise will seek the early enactment of the Communications Regulations Bill, which the department says 'will substantially strengthen the structure and powers of the Irish regulatory system to ensure continued sustained regulatory capability in the future.'

The Department for Public Enterprise will also seek the early enactment of a Bill providing for the complete modernisation of Irish legislation relating to wireless communications, and it will take a 21st century approach.

The Community Application of Information Technology (CAIT) initiative, announced late last year, is to be expanded. The Minister will seek further funding in 2002, 2003 and 2004 for voluntary and community projects which address the issue of digital inclusiveness in Irish society. Also, there will be an e-commerce audit of government services as the government is deemed to have a critial role in the development of e-commerce.

A pilot investment programme in satellite broadband technology in the regions will be announced in early June. This programme will support investments in a number of regions aimed at the more widespread development and use of satellite technologies for communications requirements, particularly in rural Ireland. In addition, the plan provides for the establishment of communications links to the global academic community for every third level institution in Ireland by 2002.

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