[SBP Article] Expecting little from e-ministers

damien

http://www.sundaybusinesspost.com/web/DocumentView/did-58515023-pageUrl--2FThe-Newspaper-2FSundays-Paper-2FThe-Market-2FTechnology.asp
By Adrian Weckler

Who is the country's new e-minister? Is it: (a) Noel Dempsey (b) Tom Kitt (c) Max Headroom (d) Ann O'Nova? A spokesman for the department of the Taoiseach is fairly sure it's (b). But I doubt she'd bet her benchmarking rise on it.

The truth is that it's doubtful whether anyone gives a damn about a government e-minister anymore. The clues are everywhere. The Information Society Commission, once the symbol of the government's ambitions, is practically dormant with one single press release so far in 2004. The outgoing e-minister, Mary Hanafin, hasn't said anything about technology or e-government in six months. And usual suspect lobbyists - Ibec, ICT Ireland and tech entrepreneurs - seem to have simply become tired of campaigning for a proper e-minister.

Presumably, however, Tom Kitt, as minister of state with responsibility for the information society (the formal title for the e-minister), cares. Presumably he has a plan and wants to make his mark quickly. Then again, a look at his track record on technology issues isn't heartening. For example, one of his main tasks as e-minister will be to put a rocket under other ministers who are tardy in modernising their departments' websites and e-services.

But a quick scan of his own official website (www.tomkitttd.ie) - which still lists him as the minister of overseas development and human rights - isn't encouraging. Its last update? October 11, 2003. ( Dublin-based visitors should therefore not be alarmed at the lead item of "major Luas construction works currently underway'' continuing until Christmas.

Don't try googling "Tom Kitt TD information society'', either, unless you want to read general guff about the power of technology to fight poverty. This is not to say that Kitt is not an able and competent minister. He has nine years' experience at three junior ministerial posts. And the chief whip job doesn't go to well-meaning amateurs. However, even if he is interested in e-government, he is likely to run into the same problem his predecessor, Hanafin, did.

Namely, that being the government chief whip, minister of state for defence and a constituency TD all at the same time leaves little time for the more anonymous egovernment portfolio. This is a shame. E-government advances such as motortax.ie, the registration of births and deaths online and the revenue service's web services have sped up business for Irish companies. They have also driven demand for broadband and new computer acquisitions.

But by the looks of it, don't hold your breath for any early earth-shattering developments from e-Minister Kitt. The government is unlikely to say much about it. And anyway, nobody is asking.

De Rebel

From Tom Kitt's page on the FF Website

'Welcome to the Tom Kitt page on the Fianna Fáil website. Much of a politician's role involves providing a fast and efficient information service to constituents. Web technology is perhaps one of the speediest and most efficient. Tom Kitt on the Fianna Fáil website will give you an introductory taste for me, the politician, my constituency and my career to date. It might lead you on to my own website. Thanks for browsing. I hope it has enhanced your understanding of politics in Ireland and allowed you to keep pace with developments.'

damien

I can see the Phoenix cartoon of Tom now. Indiana Jones style whip in one hand, armalite in the other and a laptop under his arm.

How much time will he seriously have to look after the Information Society ? The Government needs to pay attention to their Oireachtas report, specifically this bit:

Appoint a single Minister of State with cross department responsibility for the rollout of a national broadband infrastructure and the development of e-Government services.

De Rebel

Last time Tom Kitt got involved with ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) it was to solve World Poverty With a little luck, this time he will set himself more realistic targets, and actually achieve them.

The fact that he doesn't refer to his Information Society remit is very disheartning. Certainly he appears to be very far from the role envisaged by the Oireachtas report.

maxheadroom

Who is the country's new e-minister? Is it: (a) Noel Dempsey (b) Tom Kitt (c) Max Headroom (d) Ann O'Nova?

hehe - I'm famous

eircomtribunal

De Rebel wrote:

Last time Tom Kitt got involved with ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) it was to solve World Poverty .

I liked this bit of his intentions for the developing countries:
*Advocate regulatory regimes that facilitate competition and widespread access to the Internet.

P.

spongebob

Tom would blanch, were he to bother e-looking , at the state of "Widespread Internet Access" in the pairgained backwater that is Ahascragh, home of the Harney family or MountBellHOO about 5 miles up the road where the the Kitt family comes from and where some of them still scratch out a living if they did not escape to leafy South Dublin as Tom did .

Internet Access in East Galway is Third World Standard .....sorry Tom, thats Developing Nation Standard. I'm sure they would prostate themselves at the crossroads every time he passed if they could get Universal 28.8k out there.

There is some hope from wireless , Last Mile and Digiweb may be on their way there .

M

simonm2

My jaundiced view of Junior Ministers aka Ministers of State and the rest can be seen here. http://www.republic-of-ireland.com/

Waste of space and a waste of money. Don't hold your breath.

Ripwave

simonm2 wrote:

My jaundiced view of Junior Ministers aka Ministers of State and the rest can be seen here. http://www.republic-of-ireland.com/

Am I being unfair?

No, just pig-ignorant.

If you can't be bothered to read the constitution, don't bother commenting on it.

And the real cause of the lack of imagination in Government is that we have too few TDs, not too many. At the moment, members of the governing party have almost a 50% chance of being a minister or minister for state. Given the huge perks associated with these posts, there is huge pressure for TDs to toe the party line. In the UK, with over 600 MPs, an MP can buck the party line because realistically, what does he have to lose? Indeed, bucking the party line can actually be an effective way of making a name for yourself, and lead to a cabinet position further down the road. Treble the number of TDs, while capping the total renumeation at current levels, and we'd have a far more useful legislature than we have today!

And if you want to reform the Seanad, you don't have to go any further than the Constitutuion - the principles it describes for the Seanad, if actually implemented would lead to a far more useful body.