Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach his views on the recently expressed aspiration of a key leader of the Irish computer industry (details supplied) that every home in Ireland should have a PC and be on-line; if he is considering strategies to achieve this laudable and essential ambition for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8202/05]

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In 1999 the Government published its action plan for the implementation of the information society in Ireland. In 2002, a further plan, New Connections, was published. Both plans were aimed at stimulating greater participation in the information society through the creation of infrastructures, raising awareness and promoting engagement by business, the public service, the public and organisations that could benefit from exploiting the Internet and its related technologies. Our strategy in this context has also reflected trends and policies articulated at European level in e-Europe 2002 and e-Europe 2005.

The Central Statistics Office published its second set of statistics on the information society in December 2004. It contains statistics on how information and communication technologies are being used in Ireland today. The main highlights included an estimated 1,489,200 people aged between 16 and 74 years have used a computer at some time, while 1,198,800 have used the Internet; 649,400 homes have a computer, an increase of 420,100 on the 1998 figure; the number of homes with Internet connections grew from 61,200 in 1998 to 537,000 in 2004; and broadband customers have now risen to 120,000 compared with just 1,000 in May 2003.

The CSO report is particularly encouraging as it shows continued growth in engagement with the information society as reflected in the figures for computer ownership and broadband access. The figures bear testimony to the success of the Government's strategy. However, a significant aspect of the statistics is in regard to the use of the Internet. The most popular use of the Internet is e-mail, which is followed by information searching and on-line services, of which travel and accommodation is a significant element; buying and selling and e-government. With respect to the latter, we are continuing to put services on-line and to make it easier for people to access services and related information using the Internet.

The situation has matured over the lifetime of the two action plans and we have continued to make progress. However, it is not enough to see the situation purely from a technical perspective and in terms of PCs in homes. The uses to which people can put technology are perhaps more significant factors in promoting greater engagement. Meaningful and useful content provides the genesis of demand, which is what ultimately attracts people.

While the aspiration that every home should have a PC and be on-line is very laudable, the real issue concerns the purposes for which it may be used — the value to people in making the investment and engaging in the information society. Government policy is about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity and reason to access the technologies so they can participate in the emerging knowledge economy and society. The statistics reveal that quite a number of people do not have an interest in using technology or accessing the Internet. Of the 848,000 households that do not have access to the Internet, more than 120,000 have access elsewhere and 326,000 do not want access to the Internet. Cost of equipment and access was an issue for around 190,000 households, while the lack of skills was an issue for almost 162,000 people.

While the cost of PCs was cited as an issue, the reason to use PCs is a bigger issue. This is what we need to address, because the issue of affordability has to be seen in the context of usefulness as reflected in the demand. Indeed, the cost of technology continues to drop, especially in comparison to such things as televisions and entertainment centres. Simply focusing on PCs as an access tool is narrow. There are other devices such as mobile phones, which have almost 80% penetration, and which will continue to grow in sophistication with the potential to play an ever-increasing role in people's lives.

In my role as Minister of State with responsibility for the information society, I want to concentrate on the vulnerable sectors of society, including the elderly, the disabled and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. I propose to ensure that these people get greater access to relevant technology and meaningful and useful content, so they can realise their potential as full members of society. To that end, I have created an e-inclusion fund of €1.025 million which I will be distributing this year to assist the categories outlined above. My Department is currently working on the criteria and mechanisms to ensure that we get maximum impact from the fund.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Will that fund be aimed at community centres, schools and libraries? Has the Minister any details on the availability of the relevant services for the most vulnerable in society?

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I have asked my officials to look at the areas I have mentioned and to see how best that fund can be used under the e-inclusion approach. Last year, projects included the Rathkeale homework club and the Empowering Minds Lego Brick initiative, which I saw in a special class in Ballymun national school. That programme was working so well that children from other classes were coming in to see what these children were doing. One part of last year's fund was used in six public libraries to promote e-government and e-inclusion.

Elderly people could do with some support in this area. We heard from some studies that there is much loneliness among elderly people. Technology is not an answer in itself because there are many other things that we all need to do in society to assist in alleviating the plight of elderly people, but it might be part of a response from the Government to promote communication with elderly people. From my experience, many elderly people are using technology in a productive way and we should try to encourage that. I will be happy to listen to Deputies' ideas under those particular categories.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State referred to one report but he may not have seen another report that was published in Britain yesterday. That concerned whether or not there is something to be gained by everybody having computers. Statistics in that report may belie some of the assumptions made in this regard. Perhaps the Minister of State could examine that report and consider its findings.

Will he examine the area of ICT in schools? There was a good programme in place until 2003 but it has not been continued. Did his Department have any involvement in that programme and will he consider resuming it?

The Minister of State referred to mobile phones but will he consider legislation to protect those under 18 years of age from receiving abusive text messages? The issue is current and statistics show that bullying via mobile phones is on the increase. We need to examine that matter so I ask the Minister of State to consider it.

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I will certainly examine the UK report to which Deputy Enright referred. I agree with her that we must concentrate on the use of technology in schools and I have mentioned one particular aspect of this concerning schools in disadvantaged areas. The ICT proofing of the post-primary syllabus and the national digital learning repository, which is a collaborative proposal from all universities led by TCD, are important steps to ensure the development of a knowledge-based economy that will help us to grow to our full potential. We must concentrate on schools, therefore, and I am aware that Deputy Enright has been forthright in promoting that.

Personal computers are not the only means of obtaining the best possible access to new technology. One can now do many new things with mobile phones. For example, I understand from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources that people can get tests done on various fish products and thanks to texting, they can now receive test results quickly and get the products on to the market. It is all about being efficient and effective, and if it is easier to do business by mobile phone rather than via a PC, why not do so?

I agree with the Deputy, however, that there is a worrying development with regard to bullying in schools via mobile phones. Nowadays, we all feel we cannot live without our mobile phones and to a certain extent that is true. It is also true for politicians, especially if they are out canvassing, whether in Kildare North or Meath, and one is trying to find people from the local organisation, if they are there.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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They were turned off.

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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We should all be conscious of the misuse of mobile phones and if anything can be done at departmental level I will be happy to address it. I will mention the matter to my officials. I presume there are technological ways of dealing with this matter but parents, teachers and school principals have a responsibility to examine it also.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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De réir an fhreagra a thug an tAire Stáit, má fhanfaimid fada go leor, ní bheidh gá leis an infrastruchtúr atá riachtanach don teicneolaíocht atá i gceist. Does the Minister of State expect people to invest in personal computers when the infrastructural environment in which those expensive pieces of technology perform best — in other words, broadband — is not fully in place? Does he accept that the Government has been partly responsible for the slow transformation to an e-technology environment? Does the Minister accept the slow roll-out of broadband has been partly responsible for discouraging people from engaging in the new technology? If technology is purchased but does not work to its specified performance level, this discourages people from depending on it. Will we simply wait until mobile telephones do everything?

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the issue of broadband has been raised on a number of occasions since I took up my role in regard to the information society. I am pleased progress has been made.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Some.

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Some progress has been made. Following European studies and the Cap Gemini Ernst and Young report, it is important we have some European system watching over us to ascertain the progress being made because, as the Deputy noted, these studies suggested we were lagging behind on broadband. However, to be fair to the Minister and his predecessor, they worked hard on this and some of the figures I have seen suggest we are catching up, and are ahead in many other categories dealt with by the Cap Gemini report.

The Deputy is correct that technology is changing rapidly. I do not accept we will need to radically change the systems we are using. The PC is now part and parcel of our lives. However, there are new technologies such as hand-held computers and mobile telephones and we should be open to considering any of the new technologies coming on stream. It is important that Ireland, which has a significant reputation in this area, keeps ahead with regard to technological innovation.

The Information Society Commission made two points, that we should renew and reorient our e-strategy priorities and deepen our commitment to the knowledge society foresight initiative to stay ahead. It is not simply a matter of supplying technology hardware and infrastructure. There needs to be strong emphasis on the meaningful use of the technology. We should begin with the basics, find where the gaps are and make progress in regard to the elderly and disadvantaged. However, we must ask what we want to do with technology and how we can enhance society. If we look at the issue on that basis, we will do the right thing.

Deputy Enright referred to some of the negative aspects of technology. However, there is a strong symbiosis between economic activity and society. If we can get this right, we will do good service for those we represent.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The question is appropriate to a Member from Clare given that Ennis was the first information age town, although the Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, may not like this as Ennis beat Killarney to the record. Ennis was the first information age town and every home in Ennis received a PC and instructions on how to use them. Has the Government surveyed or does it propose to survey the benefits of PCs for towns such as Ennis? Ennis has become a kind of dormitory town but not many new IT industries have set up there despite it having the advantage of being the first information age town.

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I do not have the relevant statistics available but I presume many would be available for a town like Ennis. It was a good idea to consider particular towns in regard to the use of IT, especially in western seaboard and BMW areas. I am sure data are available and I would be glad to share it with the Deputy.

The current approach is to develop the metropolitan area networks, MANs, project and to roll out broadband to various towns and villages throughout the country. This is being extended with the group broadband scheme. A series of policies are in place which will ensure we will reach out to those areas that have not benefited from technological innovation. There are also a series of policy directions from the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to ComReg, focused on the delivery of competitive broadband pricing and the shaping of a telecommunications industry-supported programme to deliver broadband to 4,000 schools by September. There is a focus on the peripheral regions. Ennis has clearly benefited greatly from that project in the past and there is a continuum of similar projects in the pipeline in an effort to reach out to peripheral areas.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Over recent days, concerns have been expressed on the national airwaves regarding the capacity of broadband roll-out in terms of speed. The concerns are that the capacity of the new system being introduced falls significantly behind that of other European players. What is the Government's position and what view does it take? Has the Government responded to the criticisms aired by the national radio broadcaster?

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Progress on broadband has been made in recent times. Some of the relevant figures were mentioned in my reply.

The €25 million county and group broadband scheme offers small towns and rural communities the chance to come together with the service provider to obtain broadband connectivity for their areas with funding assistance from Government. The scheme is open to smaller towns and rural communities of fewer than 1,500 people. It is modelled on the group water scheme and will enable local communities to draw up and implement their own broadband plans in partnership with industry. The Government will provide funding of up to 55%, the maximum allowable under EU rules. The group broadband schemes have already been launched using a combination of DSL, satellite and wireless technologies.

The Government is conscious of the need to ensure equal broadband access throughout the country, especially in remoter parts, and is making a strong effort in that regard. Broadband take-up continues to rise. In May 2003 there were 1,000 customers. This figure has now risen to almost 120,000 and in the last six months of 2004 there was a customer increase of 69%. That is a marked increase and we will continue to press for further increases. The area is specifically the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, but we work closely together on these matters.