Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy has broadened his question. There is a number of bodies involved. The Information Society Commission works within my Department and promotes the information society in the public domain such as schools. It ensures that people are not left behind in this area. The Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, and the former Minister of State, Deputy Hanafin, launched numerous programmes to involve active age groups, libraries and other services and these have been successful.

On the broader question, the Minister for Education and Science has taken responsibility for technological roll-out to the primary schools. The IT 2000 programme has completed this task and continues with the roll-out of broadband to primary schools and the programme has been a success.

The overall responsibility for dealing with broadband and the technology companies which will help in the rolling out of broadband and in achieving a better take-up of it lies with the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey. He is co-ordinating the whole project. It is disappointing that when broadband was first rolled out on a free basis, many companies took up the offer for the period when it was offered free but did not continue with it when the free period was over.

On the public service side, CMOD is the section of the Department of Finance which has a budget for promoting the more effective use of technology in Departments for some years. Various Departments have an allocated budget for projects approved by CMOD. This has worked very well. The Department of Social and Family Affairs has been an exemplary Department for many years in the use of modern technology, taking the number of its clients and its significant workload. Revenue has done a superb job. It was acknowledged last week in Manchester that Revenue is way ahead of most other countries in the technological services it provides. Unfortunately they have to take money from people so it is not the most popular service.

Other areas such as land registry and the register of births, marriages and deaths can be accessed in ten or 15 minutes by means of technology instead of waiting in a long queue. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, has significantly improved its services. As I stated in my reply to Deputy Kenny, some bodies are grappling and struggling along the way. However, people are beginning to see the benefits of it.

The Deputy asked whether the services could be combined under one Minister. I do not think that is possible but it is important that people work together. We have emphasised that CMOD in the Department of Finance and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources should work closely together in this regard. I accept that point because that is the best way to get value for money, enhance developments and roll out the positive achievements. There is a need for close co-operation and compatibility with the type of software and hardware used. I accept those points because we are spending quite considerable resources within the Civil Service to try to meet this progress. As I stated, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, is working closely with the industry on broadband. It is a priority of this Government to try to roll out broadband as extensively and as quickly as we can throughout the country.

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