Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

As Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, I have assumed responsibility for co-ordination of the Government's strategy for the information society as set out in the policy document New Connections. Since my appointment, it has become apparent that there is now a real move towards a knowledge society rather than just an information society, which reflects the shift in emphasis nationally and internationally to building knowledge assets and knowledge-based economies.

Our understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by developing the information society and knowledge economy are evolving rapidly. It is necessary that our policy responses meet these challenges and opportunities. With this in mind, I am overseeing a review of the current arrangements for cross-departmental co-ordination of information society matters in terms of setting new goals and objectives for the development of Ireland's knowledge society. The review comes at an opportune time as the third progress report on New Connections will be published shortly and the final report from the Information Society Commission is due to be published this month. Both reports will inform the review's findings.

With the progress report and the Information Society Commission's final report we have much to consider as we plan for the future of Ireland's knowledge society to ensure that we are fully prepared for the exciting challenges we face in the years ahead. I look forward to announcing our plans to ensure the continued development of Ireland's knowledge economy.

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