Ministers for Communication

cathal06

The internet, comms, broadband debate in ireland is over a decade old now.

In that time who's been the best minister for comms?

good topic for debate - what do we need in a minister for comms?

Sponge Bob

We had one minister (Ahern) with some interest in and some understanding of Communications viz a viz modern knowledge based economies and social cohesion and **** like that and then we had a a bunch of timewasters who woulda taken Cow Sanitation if it was a cabinet post.

Thats 10 years in one sentence.

cathal06

thats how i kinda remember it. ive been out of ireland for 2 years. i remember being impressed with dermot ahern -seemed to have balls compared to predecessors. maybe we should lobby to have hum back.

by the way this forum was about 1000% livlier 2 yrs ago - i wonder why

1huge1

cathal06 wrote:

thats how i kinda remember it. ive been out of ireland for 2 years. i remember being impressed with dermot ahern -seemed to have balls compared to predecessors. maybe we should lobby to have hum back.

by the way this forum was about 1000% livlier 2 yrs ago - i wonder why

you mean boards.ie as a whole or ireland offline
i suppose you mean ireland offline and it only makes sense that it would be less popular as soon as people who used ireland offline got broadband they could'nt care less about the people without broadband
can't blame them really i would do the same (if i could get broadband...)

eircomtribunal

cathal06 wrote:

In that time who's been the best minister for comms?

Labour comms spokesperson Tommy Broughan bemoans the Minister failing to lobby for a broadband USO at EC level.
I suppose there were two reasons why the EC did not go down the USO route for broadband:
1. Would create difficulties with the new entrants.
2. In most EU countries broadband is rolled out at full speed, so an EC USO would not impact.
Unfortunately this leaves the Greek and the Irish in the hands of the vultures.

P.

Govt refuses to back broadband USO
Issued : Friday 16 June, 2006
Statement by Tommy Broughan TD
Spokesperson on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources

Labour’s Communications Spokesperson, Tommy Broughan TD, has criticised the Government for failing to support measures to establish a European Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband internet services.

Deputy Broughan said, “Last year the European Commission issued a proposal on extending the USO to include broadband internet services. Under the USO basic fixed line telephone services are available at an affordable price to all citizens. There is also a postal USO where all households and businesses are entitled to a postal delivery on every working day.

“The development of a broadband USO would create considerable potential for ensuring widespread and universally accessible broadband services. Because of the ongoing massive Irish broadband deficit and the need to ensure that there is equality of access to broadband services, the Minister should have contributed to this process and supported a broadband USO.

“However information released yesterday to my colleague Proinsais De Rossa MEP from the European Commissioner Viviane Reding, indicated that the Government failed to make any submission on the development of a broadband USO. Rather they subsequently supported a decision on foot of this consultation process to exclude broadband internet services and mobile telephony services from the scope of universal service.

“Yesterday the new Chairperson of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Mr Eugene McCague said that the government must establish new targets for the establishing “widespread availability of open-access, affordable, always-on broadband infrastructure and services” as they had completely failed to achieve any of their previous targets. He also warned that Ireland may lose out on inward investment due to the too-slow rollout of broadband services.

“It was also clear from the day-long hearings that the Dail Communications, Marine and Natural Resources held on Wednesday with the Minister, the Regulator and all the telecom operators that there continues to be a serious problem with broadband rollout. Minister Dempsey must review his opposition to a broadband USO if significant progress in broadband is to be made.”

Hacketry

cathal06 wrote:

The internet, comms, broadband debate in ireland is over a decade old now.

In that time who's been the best minister for comms?

good topic for debate - what do we need in a minister for comms?

I think we definitely need a minister for communications. I also reckon it's vital that the position is cabinet level - at least at the moment.
However I do question the way the ministry has been combined with Marine. I know this isn't exactly the right forum for that debate, but we are an island nation that does not properly manage, protect or indeed promote the huge natural resource that geography has bestowed upon us.

Because the Irish economy relies on technology so much, perhaps the ministry for communications should ditch the marine, natural resources and energy divisions, and take some of the technology and knowledge society units from the Taoiseach's office and Enterprise?

We have a "tech" minister in the shape of chief whip Tom Kitt, bit to my knowledge he does little except show his face at various tech sector ligs in fancy hotels. To be fair though, he does have some decent staff who are trying to promote e-democracy.

Who's been the best minister? Difficult to tell.

Ahern is a tough cookie well able to hold is own in negotiations with Big Business, but I feel he was constantly looking forward to his next posting when he was in comms.

Dempsey seems to have overseen some initiatives, such as MANs, which I hope will come good in the future, but again, I reckon he's biding his time to move up the FF pecking order. Don't forget, Humpty Dempsey was one of the lads behind Haughey's downfall so it might be time for him to play his hand now.
I think he really does want to avoid a "digital divide" but hasn't the foggiest how to achieve that.

Maybe Joe "Jozeph" Higgins would be good in Comms because he'd re-nationalise shEircom and give schools and community centres free broadband.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall if he was having afternoon tea with Babcock & Brown.