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Fianna Fail Manifesto Promises

  • 26-04-2002 9:29am
    #1
    vinnyfitz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 805 ✭✭✭vinnyfitz


    Its published here - brace yourself for 94 pages!
    http://www.fiannafail.ie/election.php4

    Not too much on Telecoms most of it under the heading of R&D and innovation.

    What they claim they have done:
    - Ireland is one of only two countries in Europe to have all schools connected to the internet! (Is this correct?)
    - "We provided 1300 free internet access points in our libraries to ensure that availability to all people."
    - Measures to deal with the digital divide
    - International connectivity

    What they say they will do:
    "We will ensure the putting in place of open access broadband on a national basis to fully include rural communities" (p34) or
    "we will roll out broadband to as many rural communities as possible" (p42)
    "we will implement an ambitious Egovernment programme aimed at ensuring that the public will be able to access most key Government services electronically" (p34)
    "We will provide broadband technology to offshore islands" (Islands section p44)
    "West Coast Digital Corridor will be developed to provide high quality broadband telecommunications facilities for both Gaeltacht and non Gaeltacht communities from Donegal to Cork". (p80).

    I can’t find any commitment to low cost or affordable internet access not to mention flatrate. Nor can I see anything about beefing up powers of regulators or to fostering competition in general.


Comments

  • #2
    gandalf
    Registered Users Posts: 26,458 ✭✭✭✭gandalf


    Pure waffle and if this is their election manifeso/promises then you can be guaranteed that are going to deliver far less than this. Its nice to see the politicians from FF have been listening to us eh.

    Gandalf.


  • #3
    strat
    Registered Users Posts: 3,005 ✭✭✭strat


    Originally posted by vinnyfitz
    Its published here - brace yourself for 94 pages!

    Well there u have it - sound promising but in 94 pages its mostly what Gandalf said - waffle they would promise free porn to on RTE and legalise cocaine if they think its a popular - u think it will happen ????

    me nother :mad:


  • #4
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    All I read in Vinnyfitz' quoted post from FF is the following:

    More Fibre (which whilst it never hurts, is of ZERO practical use to the current situation/problem)


  • #5
    scojones
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,230 ✭✭✭scojones


    i'm voting Fine Gael/Sein Fein, not made me mind up yet ;/


  • #6
    tHE vAGGABOND
    Registered Users Posts: 6,686 ✭✭✭tHE vAGGABOND


    We will provide broadband technology to offshore islands
    rofl! Is that a pig I see flying across the sky :rolleyes:


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  • #7
    timod
    Registered Users Posts: 430 ✭✭timod


    Meanwhile, the PD's have:
    http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/news/200201/Manifesto2002.pdf

    where it says:
    • to ensure delivery of high-speed, low cost and high capacity internet connections by building broadband infrastructure across all regions of the country. The Government in March 2002 announced an investment programme to bring broadband to 123 towns in Ireland over the next five years. It is critical to implement this programme on time, and to be open to new technologies, e.g. wireless, for further roll-out.
    • to create real competition for local phone services by ensuring the unbundling of the local loop. If the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation requires further legislative backing to achieve this, we will provide it.


  • #8
    rymus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,819 ✭✭✭rymus


    All these fantastic promises... I wonder when Joseph Goebbels started working for Fianna Fail? (or is he just contracted out from Eircom? :D)


  • #9
    mdf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 64 ✭✭mdf


    well they're behind the times. the local loop is unbundled!


  • #10
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    Originally posted by timod

    Meanwhile, the PD's have:
    http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/...nifesto2002.pdf

    where it says:
    :
    ? to create real competition for local phone services by ensuring the unbundling of the local loop. If the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation requires further legislative backing to achieve this, we will provide it.

    Well .. hellOOOOooo dolly!!


  • #11
    vinnyfitz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 805 ✭✭✭vinnyfitz


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=48965

    When all the manifestoes are out IOFFL could issue a statement based on our analysis - some time next week perhaps.

    FG manifesto was launched this AM but they sem to have forgotten to put it on their website:(


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  • #12
    ando
    Registered Users Posts: 5,381 ✭✭✭ando


    well my mind is set not to vote for FF ... mary o rurke made sure of that


  • #13
    koneko
    Registered Users Posts: 10,304 ✭✭✭✭koneko


    I haven't talked to anyone that's still voting for FF, funnily enough. I'd be voting FG myself.

    Wasn't it Bertie himself who stopped the flatrate amendment? Or did I read this incorrectly?

    I'm pretty sure the comment about Ireland being one of only two countries in Europe with schools on the net, is total BS.


  • #14
    Occidental
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,315 ✭✭✭Occidental


    How about a shorter revised list.

    1: We promise never to leave Mary O'Rourke in charge of anything, ever again.
    2: We will give the ODTR a set of teeth.
    3: We will go and find out what this internet commotion is all about.
    4: We will ask someone why the country is littered with unlit fibre.
    5: We will stop using the word Broadband as we don't really know what it means.


    West Coast Digital Highway, me ar5e .


  • #15
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,234 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Originally posted by sjones
    i'm voting Fine Gael/Sein Fein
    /head explodes


  • #16
    Yoda
    Registered Users Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭Yoda


    Originally posted by vinnyfitz
    "Ireland is one of only two countries in Europe to have all schools connected to the internet! (Is this correct?) "

    A computer, a phone line, and a 56K modem will get you that. If you can afford the connect charges.


  • #17
    Dangger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 749 ✭✭✭Dangger


    What they claim they have done:
    - Ireland is one of only two countries in Europe to have all schools connected to the internet! (Is this correct?)

    I remember a comment at our seminar from someone who tackled Eircom on this issue. Yes, schools were given equipment but I think they were given an hour or two free access a month or something along those lines. I'll check the transcripts...


  • #18
    Alyson Wrong Okra
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,695 ✭✭✭ Alyson Wrong Okra


    It as Gladiator/Boston who raised the issue w/ Pat Galvin(Eircom)

    AFAIR, the monthy quota for free access is pitiful, so i think the FF claim is a bit over zealous.

    Its like saying every school in the country has a school bus, but then omitting to say they have no access to petrol:rolleyes:


  • #19
    JabbaTheHut
    Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭JabbaTheHut


    If the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation requires further legislative backing to achieve this, we will provide it.


    They've been in power all along,so why didn't they do this already?:confused:


  • #20
    ressem
    Registered Users Posts: 2,426 ✭✭✭ressem


    quote:
    Originally posted by vinnyfitz
    "Ireland is one of only two countries in Europe to have all schools connected to the internet! (Is this correct?) "

    Done some freebies repairing PC's for schools and orgs about here as the computer firms here are unbelievably bad.(1)

    Local schools had an ISDN line installed.

    They don't have an ISDN modem, let alone ISDN to LAN router or server. No proxies or filtering s/w.
    End result. Teacher downloads stuff onto laptop via 56k modem and distributes via a lan that he set up.

    And come to think of it, I'll have to ask whose been paying the ISDN line rental/ ISP bills for these months of holding an ISDN line.
    The school or the department?

    Hence the government action left the school no better off then before and possibly (I'll check) worse off.

    School is well equipped with PC's and equipment, and some of the staff are knowledgeable.
    When I finish with the current panic at work, they'll be set up. But all the government did is subsidise the Eircom installation.


    If this is a fulfilled government success, then I'm really worried about their future promises.

    btw I amn't anti FF, but I can't side with departments that allow this sort of nonsense to carry on.
    I was at the FF website to look at the manifesto and saw another success.
    Govt sponsored £400,000 Fibre optic cable for Athlone. 1998.
    Umm, who was this given to?
    If T.Eireann, then perhaps this is the line for which we paid £8000 a year for 256Kb internet link. C/W Line via Midlands-Dublin-London. (2)

    Fianna Fail line. Makes Eircom go further. (Ok I am anti FF. Anti all the rest of 'em too though. At this stage would vote FF only to kneecap SF )

    R

    (1) case 1. £50 and they can't run an Antivirus program. 120 instances left of macro viruses and the like.
    case 2. £50 and given a computer where kbd and mouse do not respond. Left unfixed. Soln. Replace mouse and all was well.

    (2)Eircom tried to charge £13,000 and would not drop despite competition. C/W even use the same Eircom line to Dublin. This is, C/W tell us, the reason for the high charge.


  • #21
    Delphi91
    Registered Users Posts: 1,501 ✭✭✭Delphi91


    Originally posted by Dangger


    I remember a comment at our seminar from someone who tackled Eircom on this issue. Yes, schools were given equipment but I think they were given an hour or two free access a month or something along those lines. I'll check the transcripts...

    I teach computers in a second level school and I'm also the I.T. Coordinator for the school.

    This initiative was part of the IT2000 program from the Dept of Education.

    Eircom (or was it Telecom back then?) provided an ISDN connection to each school. I think we had to provide our own ISDN modem. They then provided something like £300 of free credit on the ISDN bill (I'm not sure if that figure is right, but it averaged out at 1 hour of internet access per day over a school year) You weren't restricted to an hour a day - you could surf as much as you liked.

    Of course, what NOBODY mentioned, was that even if you didn't use the ISDN access, your credit was still being eaten away due to the ISDN line rental which was deducted from your credit every month!!!

    On top of this, it didn't make any difference how many students were in the school - you still got ONE multimedia pc for the school.

    Mike


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  • #22
    Jorinn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 781 ✭✭✭Jorinn


    Originally posted by vinnyfitz
    Its published here - brace yourself for 94 pages!
    http://www.fiannafail.ie/election.php4

    Not too much on Telecoms most of it under the heading of R&D and innovation.

    What they claim they have done:
    - Ireland is one of only two countries in Europe to have all schools connected to the internet! (Is this correct?)
    - "We provided 1300 free internet access points in our libraries to ensure that availability to all people."
    - Measures to deal with the digital divide
    - International connectivity

    What they say they will do:
    "We will ensure the putting in place of open access broadband on a national basis to fully include rural communities" (p34) or
    "we will roll out broadband to as many rural communities as possible" (p42)
    "we will implement an ambitious Egovernment programme aimed at ensuring that the public will be able to access most key Government services electronically" (p34)
    "We will provide broadband technology to offshore islands" (Islands section p44)
    "West Coast Digital Corridor will be developed to provide high quality broadband telecommunications facilities for both Gaeltacht and non Gaeltacht communities from Donegal to Cork". (p80).

    I can’t find any commitment to low cost or affordable internet access not to mention flatrate. Nor can I see anything about beefing up powers of regulators or to fostering competition in general.
    1. Are they trying to say that there are loads of schools without phone lines and a computer no matter how old in other countries, I'll bet money that's no right

    2. Wasn't that library scheme instigated before they came into power?

    3. It would be nice if the services to creta a digital divide in the first place even existed i.e. flat-rate or cheap broadband

    4.If international connectivity is an aim then clearly we can't make a phone call to a foreign country never mind connect to a server in a different country.

    5. Be nice if they showed a proper plan on how they were going to achieve their aims of "We will ensure the putting in place of open access broadband on a national basis to fully include rural communities" Oh, and open access is what exactly?

    6. "we will roll out broadband to as many rural communities as possible" <---- Does that not contradict previous point slightly?

    7. "we will implement an ambitious Egovernment programme aimed at ensuring that the public will be able to access most key Government services electronically" <
    sorting out decent access speeds to these in the the current e-gov provisions would be a good start.

    8. "We will provide broadband technology to offshore islands" <
    how about starting off with dense population areas where demand is higher and the provision of broadband services is likely to stimulate commerce.

    9. "West Coast Digital Corridor will be developed to provide high quality broadband telecommunications facilities for both Gaeltacht and non Gaeltacht communities from Donegal to Cork" <
    Whya re they acting like the rest of the country has these facilities, somehow I just don't see eircom and high quality going together.


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