Seanad debates
Thursday, 17 October 2002
Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Second Stage.
Let me come back to the question of who is in charge of this matter here. Is it the Minister for Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources? I thought one of the objects of the re-organisation of ministerial portfolios was to bring all the functions relating to the information age under one Minister. If that is so, he has not yet given any convincing evidence that he intends to restore the aim of achieving leadership in e-commerce to the top of the national agenda. I am not sure it is possible for any Minister, even this one whom I regard very highly, who also has all these other responsibilities. At the Taoiseach's level, responsibility for the information society agenda rests with the Government Chief Whip, whose abilities I do not doubt, but whose plate is already full with a multitude of other tasks. What is needed is to put this responsibility into the hands of a single person who would become the national champion of the information age, and whose sole job would be to co-ordinate all our efforts and to provide the leadership and motivation that are needed to realise our goal.
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