Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

The Minister is covering for the Taoiseach. He has effectively thrown his body in front of him, which the Taoiseach did not do for the Minister in his previous office during the controversy about third level fees. The Minister's remarks are not true. I contributed to the debate on Committee Stage of the Bill on 6 March 2003, supported by Deputies Coveney and Eamon Ryan, both of whom expressed concern. We all wanted to see a successful digital village or district in our city. Our concern grew as time passed. The Taoiseach set the project up under the wrong auspices. That was the problem, as the Minister has effectively conceded today.

The Minister has proposed some dramatic initiatives in the past, although the electronic voting machines are rotting away somewhere. Could he not be more ambitious and study Kuala Lumpur and other cities for examples of a proper digital district with everybody on-line? This could be a pilot scheme with perhaps six or eight other pilots the country. The Minister should drive the project and build on this serious set back.

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