Dáil debates

Wednesday, 2 February 2005

Ceisteanna — Questions.

Computerisation Programme.

11:00 am

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the progress to date of the implementation of the e-Cabinet project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32026/04]

Photo of Bertie AhernBertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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The e-Cabinet project has progressed very well and the key aspects of the system came into operation during 2004. Further development is in progress and will be incrementally deployed in the course of this year.

Phase one went live in summer 2004 and was launched by the then Minister of State with responsibility for the information society, Deputy Hanafin. It enabled all Departments to author and process memoranda for Government, to conduct interdepartmental consultation in a secure electronic environment and, similarly, to submit memoranda electronically to the Cabinet secretariat.

In November, Ministers began using the system at Cabinet meetings. While its use at Cabinet is at a preliminary stage, Ministers believe that it provides an important support for the Cabinet process. Some of the immediate benefits include real time access to the evolving Cabinet agenda and associated memoranda. Virtually all memoranda for Government are managed end-to-end on the system, that is from when they are first created right through to the Cabinet table. Further features of the system continue to be developed and will be deployed incrementally during 2005.

The e-Cabinet project is a leading edge Government initiative, which shows our commitment to applying new technologies to improve processes, even at the heart of Government. Its innovative character puts us at the forefront worldwide for implementation of technology in support of Cabinet, in view of its depth and sophistication.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This project was announced in December 2001. How many phases are there in the e-Cabinet project? When will phase two be completed and what does it entail? Will the Taoiseach outline, if possible, the technical difficulties that have been encountered in the e-Cabinet project since it was devised? Is the project on schedule or much behind the projected schedule when announced?

Photo of Bertie AhernBertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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The project is more or less on schedule. It has been an enormous project because it affects all Departments and offices. We are now at implementation stage. It is planned to further augment its features and functionality over several more phases this year. Those phases are electronic briefing facilities for Ministers; key features which automatically generate one-page overviews of memos; a facility for Ministers and other users; enhanced administration functionality; and biometric authentication for high level users. These are the phases for 2005.

It is also hoped to broaden the project out into other areas of Government agencies over the next number of years. Having brought it to this stage, as with any project of this size, additional advantages have opened up. All of the current stage of removing the large volume of documents that had to be sent manually to the Cabinet secretariat before each meeting and distribution and such matters are completed. That was a lengthy phase, because it meant getting rid of the generation of significant volumes of paper. Even before a memorandum comes to Cabinet, drafts were submitted manually within Departments. That has gone. The main advantage is that this work is all carried out electronically now. This means a significant saving to Departments in delivery services. More importantly, it means that transmission is instant. Therefore, the long delays with data going backward and forward through the manual system has been removed. The security sections of how documents are handled and who and what groups can gain access to them took a long time. However, that is all finished and we are now down to a position where a system has been devised within Departments and the different areas.

Deputy Kenny asked about the areas in which it is being used. The technology has built-in encryption, fire walls and role profiles which specifically limit access to different people. That is all completed. I assume that like any technology project it will continue to develop for some years. The project should be fairly much completed in 2005 or maybe into 2006 in terms of what was envisaged five or six years ago.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Does that mean all Departments currently based in Dublin use a system that is fully compatible with the e-Government system operated from Government Buildings? Are all the Dublin-based Departments fully on-line with this and is the system being used to full capacity? Does that mean that when the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, moves to Knock and the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, moves to Mullingar that the same compatible systems will operate from the decentralised offices around the country?

Are there proposals to ensure that security measures to which the Taoiseach referred such as encryption will continue to operate on a singular system that would make it workable from all parts of the country?

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Encryption is not needed in the case of the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív. I do not understand him in any language.

Photo of Bertie AhernBertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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The answer to the Deputy's question is "Yes". They are all now using the one system. It is in the Cabinet secretariat and is now on all memorandums. All sections of Departments are using the one system. Many of these things are new and different but they have worked most effectively and this will be built on. This puts us in a position where we are well advanced. It is of great benefit to the Government but even more so for Departments and agencies in that they can operate from wherever they are based. It is almost at a stage where one could move one's entire office. Deputy Kenny and Deputy Jim O'Keeffe would be familiar with such cases. A very small unit of technology in an office is all that is required to move around and check large volumes of information. I would be pleased to show the system to the leaders of the Opposition if they wish to see it. I am not competent enough——

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Is that to get us used to it?

Photo of Bertie AhernBertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yes. In fairness, I did this at the start——

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Or does the Taoiseach reckon it is our only chance to see it?

Photo of Bertie AhernBertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I did this at the start when we commenced the work. Former Deputy, John Bruton, and Deputy Quinn raised the issue at the time.

It does cover the entire Government service. I assure Deputies that I am not an expert on this. I am afraid age is against me in terms of being a technology buff. However the system is very good and we can all be very proud of how it works in the Civil Service. It has cost us but as a country we are now involved in it in a big way.

This year there has been a significant explanation and training programme carried out by the people involved throughout the Civil Service. I have been through that a few times. I would be glad if people want to see it. It is a very good system and when fully enhanced, which will probably still take some years, it will certainly make the Irish Civil Service system very far advanced. Last year on my travels in Europe I saw where people were at in different countries. Estonia was the only country that was very advanced in many ways. It is the only country at a level similar to us.