Jun 2008
Fine Gael National Press Office Press Release | |||||||||
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| Monday, 16 June 2008 | |||||||||
12 months in job and Minister has nothing done on next generation broadband - Coveney | |||||||||
Fine Gael Communications Spokesperson Simon Coveney TD today (Monday) criticised the failure of Minister Eamon Ryan to make any progress on next generation broadband after a year in the job. - "A Policy Paper is being prepared on Broadband and Next Generation Networks" - introductory brief for incoming Minister Eamon Ryan, 15th June 2007. "According to the most recent OECD statistics, Ireland is 20th out of 30 OECD countries for broadband penetration, and our rate of 18.3 subscribers per 100 people is well below the OECD average of 20. More importantly, our neighbours and competitors are well above us, with the UK and France at 25, and all the Scandinavian countries well above 30. Statistics for speed and price put us even more firmly at the bottom of the league tables. The OECD puts us at 33rd of 35 countries for average speed, while Forfás indicates that the fastest speed available in Ireland costs four to five times more than much higher speed services in neighbouring countries. "In the introductory brief that was on his desk when he came into the job twelve months ago, the Minister's officials had labelled next generation broadband a 'key immediate priority issue' and said that a policy paper on the issue was being prepared. When Fine Gael most recently raised this issue with the Minister in the Dáil, his answer said essentially exactly the same thing, that next generation infrastructure is a top priority and that a policy paper on the issue is due to be launched shortly. Meanwhile no policy paper or any coherent policy at all has appeared. "In every question time with the Minister I raised it as a Priority Question, usually my first, and I also launched a policy document and put down a Private Members' motion on it. However there has been no ambitious action from the Minister. "Next generation broadband infrastructure is crucial to the future economic and social health of our country. Without it, any ambitions of becoming a knowledge economy, a centre for innovation in IT or a destination for high-end technological investment become merely pipe-dreams. IBEC, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Forfás and representatives of multinational corporations in Ireland agree with this assessment. "The only concrete action the Minister has taken in this area since taking office has been to convene a forum of international experts in February to debate the Department's policy paper. Since then he has repeatedly promised that the paper would be published 'shortly' but it has not appeared. In the meantime he has pointed to the growth in Ireland's broadband numbers and made excuses such as 'it is a matter for the private sector'. "The Government has a crucial leadership role in this sector, especially in stimulating investment by helping the private sector overcome barriers to entry. The Minister's lack of action in this area is now bordering on the irresponsible. Fine Gael has on many occasions over the past year sketched out a series of steps the Minister could take to put Ireland on the road to being competitive in this area. It is past time for him to start displaying some leadership." Ends |
