Bertie's Speech at the Ard Fheis

timod

From the fianna fail website.

And prosperity in the future will depend on our ability to change with a changing world. In the 21st century Ireland faces a new challenge. It is the challenge to adapt to the Information Age. We have worked hard to make sure that Ireland has been at the cutting edge. Through investment in skills and technology Ireland has become a world-leader in new industries. During our term we even surpassed the USA to become the largest software exporter in the world.

For centuries people said that Ireland could never develop because we had no natural resources. But in the Information Age talented, intelligent people are the greatest natural resource of all. Just as electricity was the dynamic of the 20th century so greater knowledge will be the dynamic of this the 21st century. Ireland can and Ireland will become a leading Information Society.

And I speak about a society not just an economy. This is an opportunity not just to increase our standard of living. It is an opportunity to increase our quality of life as well. It is an opportunity not just for the main stream but for the margins – for people and communities all across our country.

That’s why I am determined to implement a new and even more ambitious programme: · We will roll out a national broadband network so that every community will have access to high-speed connections to the rest of the world.

· We will deliver eGovernment to our people – providing on line all Government services, including central Government, local Government, health, education and the social services. Giving citizens direct access to all public services from their homes and communities.And· We will continue to invest in research so that Ireland will be a world leader in every stage of developing new products.

Our challenge is an exciting one. It is to become a global leader of the Information Society. Should we succeed – and I am determined that we will – the 21st century will be Ireland’s time.

Our small but talented nation, a people with nothing to declare but their genius, can be leaders and innovators. The 21st century will be a new Age of Discovery, where those who are first across the horizon, will reap the rewards of their foresight and innovation.

Now let's see if something comes from it......


Tim

pete

You can expect to see a lot more details on this in the papers tomorrow - Mary O'Rourke's office issued details of what's proposed to other Minister's late on Friday afternoon, so their respective Press Offices will be issuing press releases tomorrow to the local media in the towns selected.

Stonemason

But how long has this goverment been in power and how long has it been promising to make Ireland "THE" e-hub of europe ?


QUOTE
Our small but talented nation, a people with nothing to declare but their genius, can be leaders and innovators. The 21st century will be a new Age of Discovery, where those who are first across the horizon, will reap the rewards of their foresight and innovation.

This line is particulaly telling as the goverment has shown an amazing lack of foresight and innovation.Which is fair enough as no one really expects TD,s to have either:D.I just wish they would stop getting in the way of others who actualy fit the discription.


Stone:D

Cork

Come off it:
We are getting the Communications bill.
We are getting government investment in broadband
We got the Ard Fheis speach,

Progess is being made.

It is slow - but battles are being won.

dahamsta

Once again, Devil's Advocate:

We are getting the Communications bill.

Are we? Will we get the Comms Bill before the GE, in which case we'll be waiting again? Will the Comms Bill be the Comms Bill we need, and deserve?

We are getting government investment in broadband

Are we? Has the previous - and several times reannounced - investment paid off? Do we actually /know/ what this investment will do? There seems to be a lot of questions about last mile connectivity, and I ain't seen any answers.

We got the Ard Fheis speach,

I won't even dignify that with a response.

adam

yellum

We are getting jack.

Big Business will no doubt get loads without doing anything yet again. The solution is not to throw money at the situtation but to better manage and regulate the situation.

Typedef

I concour.
What is the sense in throwing good taxpayers money after bad? It would be a whole lot simpler to simply regulate eircom and allow a 'natural progression' of competition in the telco market. If the government hadn't botched the job and made a monopoly out of eircom then 'we' wouldn't be in this mess, so rather than impose comrade Bertie's pstn backbone, lets fix comrade Marey H's farce of a privitisation.