Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I raised this on Committee Stage and the Minister said he would provide a direction. Given that he seems to be prepared to reconsider the functions of the agency – given its location in this city – a specific function aimed at assisting people suffering from physical or other disabilities would make a statement with regard to addressing the digital divide. There is a problem in western societies, where, if one is below a certain threshold, one does not have access to the most extraordinary new method of communicating information since the invention of the printing press. If this agency is to fulfil some of its more visionary objectives, it should not focus on those that are already digitally engaged. It should have some function to look at those who are, or are likely to be, excluded from the digital age by physical or other disability.