17-02-2003 - Minister Hanafin Publishes 1st Progress Report on New Connections

The Minister for the Information Society, Mary Hanafin T.D. today published the first progress report on New Connections, the Governments Action Plan for developing an Information Society.

"This first progress report represents a timely snapshot of where weve been, where we are, and where were going in our development as an Information Society. Already, major strides have been made in building the foundations of an inclusive and dynamic Information Society in Ireland. Just this month, Ireland was yet again ranked at the top of the European league table for the level of sophistication we have achieved in our online public services," Minister Hanafin said.

"Services that make a very real difference to peoples lives on a daily basis are being advanced at pace - everything from passport processing, online registration of car tax, births, death and marriage certificates, to voting registration, online payment of court fines, work permits and numerous other initiatives. However, the vast programme of change and innovation outlined in New Connections requires continuous monitoring and review, i.e. this first progress report. Our goal remains to position Ireland as a leading knowledge economy," she stressed.

The report outlines progress on all seven policy strands of New Connections, (Telecommunication Infrastructure, Legal & Regulatory Environment, eGovernment, eBusiness; R&D, Lifelong Learning and eInclusion).

"Since its launch in April 2002, New Connections has been implemented on all strands. This is as a result of the Information Society agenda being driven centrally by the Department of the Taoiseach, working in collaboration with other Departments and their agencies. The Government remains mindful that the Information Society is a rapidly evolving agenda and that we as legislators and policy-makers must ensure that our vision evolves to match and reflect this level of continuous change," added Minister Hanafin.

"All facets of Irish society - health, educational, financial, legal, farming, marine, social inclusion, transport, welfare, equality, environmental and others - are gradually being overhauled through the coordinated implementation of New Connections. I would encourage everyone with any interest in seeing how our Information Society is developing to access this progress report*. I am confident that the next progress report, scheduled for publication within the next few months, will continue to illustrate further improvements in key areas of policy and front-line delivery of services for the Irish citizen," she said.

"While much progress is evidenced in this report, it also identifies certain initiatives which have experienced delays. While some of these are as a result of changes in the make-up of particular Departments, there are evidently other areas requiring a more concerted effort. Todays publication sends out a clear signal to all of us responsible for its implementation, to focus on minimising delays, and ensure the continued delivery of our Action Plan. We are committed to this, and are collectively striving, through our Information Society Policy Unit, Cabinet Committee on the Information Society, and all Government Departments and agencies, to deliver on the initiatives outstanding," Minister Hanafin concluded.

ENDS

Monday, February 17, 2003

Further Info: 01-619 4241

[See below: Note for Editor - Progress report Key Points]

Note for Editor:

Progress report - key points

Telecommunications Infrastructure

·        Broadband remains the top Information Society priority. Arising from an interim report from Forfás in November 2002, there has been agreement that the Telecoms Infrastructure Forum (TIF) of IBEC and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources will explore the scope for greater exploitation of existing infrastructures.

·        Further progress on Metropolitan Area Network roll-out in key locations nationwide (Phase 1). The Government, and, in particular, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, are actively working to encourage demand and maximise private sector investment.

Legal and Regulatory

·        The legislative and regulatory agenda set out in New Connections is progressing satisfactorily - a key enabler is the recently passed Communications Regulation Act 2002, which gives additional powers to the new Commission for Communications Regulation. Other Legislation: Data Protection (Amendment) Bill 2002 at Committee Stage in Dáil; Digital Hub Development Agency Bill expected to be enacted shortly;

·        The new Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) set up by Order of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in December 2002, giving full effect to the provisions of the Communications Regulation Act 2002.

·        EU Directives: Four directives on Electronic Communications, agreed at EU level, to be transposed into Irish law by July 25. A fifth directive (Data protection and privacy) will be transposed into Irish law by October 31, 2003.)

·        Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform leading Irelands contribution to the development of a new EU framework decision on Attacks against Information Systems (discussions began in June 2002).

·        Illegal and harmful uses of Internet: Proposals presently being discussed for (a) extending scope of research on Internet safety, and (b) awareness projects roadshows, radio campaign, poster campaign, info packs, etc. Internet Advisory Board - successful workshop between the Internet industry and Gardaí, identifying issues of mutual concern (June 2002)

·        E-Court: A working group is currently drafting necessary Court Rules for the establishment of a Commercial Court/e-Court It is envisaged that this court will be established by September 2003.

eGovernment

·        Work is ongoing by the Reach agency on the procurement process for the Public Services Broker. The Brokers development is central to eGovernment. Recognised as a key priority, there exists a commitment right across the spectrum to see the Broker progressed quickly and efficiently. The Governments central access gateway for all public services, it is being put in place by the Reach Agency. A pilot version, Reachservices.ie, has been in place since early 2002. It is hoped to have full Broker services available this year.

·        The e-Cabinet project is expected to be deployed in 2003, while the Revenue Online Service project is continuing to achieve success with a number of projects being completed ahead of schedule. Other agencies, such as the Civil Service and the Land Registry, are extending their range of available services.

·        The Basis team have completed the development of the content for www.basis.ie, and have recently completed a usability and accessibility review of the website, involving direct input from businesses. A new service is now in place to notify registered users of changes to compliance or support services by e-mail.

·        All local authorities have upgraded their systems to support the online Planning Application and Development Control process, which includes citizen interaction with draft development plans, and have upgraded their systems to support online registration on the Electoral Register.

·        An e-Payments study by the ISC is underway to determine the options for stimulating and promoting e-payments in Government and in business in Ireland.

·        The Government is preparing proposals (to be brought to the Cabinet Committee shortly) for a set of operating principles that strike an appropriate balance between the personal privacy rights of individuals and the benefits for individuals of integrated online services delivery, and which will form the basis for drawing up rules for the use of a common personal services number.

·        Regarding the target of 2005 for the delivery of online services, there is now a need to refine this target to ensure that optimum results are achieved in terms of effectiveness and impact. Over the coming months, the Assistant Secretaries Implementation Group will be focusing on the identification of key services to the citizen, and time-lines will be set for specific deliverables over the next three years.

·        Anticipated that new European Public Procurement Directives, expected to emerge in 2003, will facilitate the further development of electronic public procurement.

·        e-Business has broadened to the bigger issue of the knowledge economy which is now particularly relevant, given the world economic situation. The intention is to focus attention on this area during 2003 and on the issues arising out of reports by Forfás and the ISC, reviewing the policy options for positioning Ireland as a significant player in global terms by identifying and maximising our strengths.

·        The significance of Research & Development investment has been brought into sharper focus over the last year as the economic downturn has highlighted the need to promote the development of the knowledge economy. R&D and the development of knowledge-based enterprises is being considered by the ISC.

·        Fostering a learning environment and delivering new learning opportunities through the use of -ICT is vital to our move to a knowledge-based economy. The development of a strategic framework for lifelong learning is critical to active citizenship and social inclusion objectives. Progress already underway includes the publication in 2003 by the National Qualifications Authority of a framework of levels of qualification; FÁS are working on the issue of accreditation of prior and experiential learning; the Department of Education and Science has created two posts within the NCCA to focus on developing the delivery of curriculum using ICT at primary & post-primary level; the HEA has gone to the marketplace to investigate the potential for e-learning to contribute to the further development of higher and further education and training in Ireland.

·        The Government continues to place a high priority on the need for an inclusive approach to the implementation of all strands of the Information Society agenda. A number of e-inclusion projects including pilots have been completed or have reached an evaluation stage in their lifecycle (e.g. the Libraries initiative, the Muintir na Tíre ISP project, Equalskills and CAÍT).

·        The Department of the Taoiseach, in ensuring that there is a policy framework to underpin the objective of an Information Society for all, believes that Government strategy should be reviewed taking account of the ISCs recently published Building the Knowledge Economy report, and the results of the research commissioned by ISC on inclusive Information Society development.

ADDITIONAL NOTE:This progress report is based on the content of an innovative new online reporting facility to monitor progress on specific action items. Building the online tool necessitated a more detailed definition of some of the action items in consultation with Departments. It is intended to develop this online reporting facility further in the coming months and to provide a public window on progress.