TheJournal.ie’s progress report for the Government: Communications, technology

bealtine

http://www.thejournal.ie/thejournal-ie%E2%80%99s-progress-report-for-the-government-communications-technology-378369-Mar2012/?utm_source=twitter_self

1) WHAT THEY SAID DURING THE 2011 ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Both parties pledged to invest in next generation broadband to all homes and businesses in Ireland.
Both parties also said they would examine the role and the collection of the TV licence fee and proposed a catch-all broadcasting fee as an alternative.
Fine Gael pledged to pioneer a new model of ‘fair use’ when it comes to copyright law, allowing the use of portions of a copyrighted work as long as it didn’t undermine the original work, in order to attract internet companies to Ireland.
Fine Gael said it strongly supported An Post as a state-owned company but wanted to expand its remit and open the postal market to competition.
Fine Gael promised to develop Ireland as a ‘digital island’ and ensure that more government services – such as planning applications and driving licence applications – are available online.
Labour promised to introduce a policy that all government departments and agencies would adopt cloud-based services if they are value for money and adequately secure
Labour also said it would give regulator ComReg powers to ensure all broadband suppliers provided regular information on speeds, and end inaccurate advertising about speed.

2) WHAT THEY PROMISED IN THE PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT

The parties pledged to clarify legislation around online copyright infringement and the enforcement of rights relating to digital communications.
The Programme said that regulator ComReg would be given powers to make broadband providers publish average speeds for each package. It also proposed new government rating system to allow home owners and tenants to assess broadband facilities in a home easily.
The parties promised to examine the role and collection of the TV license fee.
Both parties also committed to enact the Postal Services Bill, opening the postal market to competition.
The Programme pledges to develop Ireland as a ‘digital island’ when it comes to information technology by ensuring more progress on e-Government and moving Government services online, investing in ICT in schools, and investing in information technology in the healthcare sector.
The parties committed to ensuring all schools have access to fibre-powered broadband and integrate ICT into the curriculum.

3) PROGRESS – OR LACK THEREOF – IN FIRST YEAR OF GOVERNMENT

The government has signed into law legislation regarding online copyright laws in Ireland – nicknamed ‘Irish SOPA’ – which will make it possible for copyright holders to seek court actions against internet service providers or social networks hosting material which infringes on copyright.
Pat Rabbitte announced last month that every secondary school in the country is to have a high speed broadband connection by 2014.
Minister Rabbitte has said he is considering introducing a broadcasting charge to replace the television licence but no details have yet been finalised.

Bill Shock

They should get applauded for pushing ahead with the investment in schools but why stop there?

What is also needed is to put computer/digital skills into the curriculum so that school-leavers have more than just a superficial knowledge of how ICT works. Why are we still persisting with teaching subjects loke woodwork and home economics for the Leaving cert while neglecting to properly teach digital skills?

Of course all of this would involve confronting the various dinosaurs that inhabit the Jurassic Park that is Dept. of Education & Skills.... a place where time has truely stood still.

PogMoThoin

Bill Shock wrote: »

They should get applauded for pushing ahead with the investment in schools but why stop there?

What is also needed is to put computer/digital skills into the curriculum so that school-leavers have more than just a superficial knowledge of how ICT works. Why are we still persisting with teaching subjects loke woodwork and home economics for the Leaving cert while neglecting to properly teach digital skills?

Of course all of this would involve confronting the various dinosaurs that inhabit the Jurassic Park that is Dept. of Education & Skills.... a place where time has truely stood still.

Sorry, slightly OT for the thread title but expanding your point.

Whatever about woodwork and Home Economics, My 14 yo daughter has 3 classes of religion a week and only 1 of computing (also only 2 of PE but this is a tech forum) which she claims is a doss because there's so little time they do nothing. She has also has religion mid term and yearly exams. This in my eyes is a complete waste of time and resources. The school has excellent computer facilities and already has a 100mbit link. Why is this? Are they really that backward that the Dept that they cannot see that this is absolutely crazy?


So other than the 100mbit for schools the Government hasn't really done anything it promised. They went their own way on the SI despite huge opposition to it. And as for taxing broadband, well it would be a crying shame if something we all NEED wasn't taxed.

Lets not vote them in again

watty

Let the Churches teach Religion in their own Sunday Schools. Cut it back to 1 hr a week of Absolute Ethics and Morality (none of the Post-Modernist Relativist crap that anything the Majority wants must be OK).

Train the teachers and give them Laptops. Then it won't be the blind leading the Blind as it ever has been in most Schools since 1980s in UK and Ireland. Computers should be integrated to other subjects. Except for people electing to do optional embedded control, application programming or Web Services modules.