Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The National Broadband Plan is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and is a core component of Project Ireland 2040 which is the overarching vision for the National Development Plan 2018-2027 and the National Planning Framework. The National Broadband Plan will be vital for the delivery of strategies such as Future Jobs Ireland as we prepare for the next stage of our economic development.

Future Jobs Ireland is a new medium-term economic pathway that will build and improve upon our already globally connected economy to make it more resilient, innovative and adaptable to future challenges. The National Broadband Plan will support the ambitions in Future Jobs Ireland that aim to enable people and businesses throughout Ireland to seize the opportunities arising from technological advances and the transition to a digital economy. These opportunities will arise across multiple sectors including Education, Health, Enterprise, Environment, Smart Farming, Social Inclusion & Rural/Regional Development, Tourism and Transportation. The National Broadband Plan will support Future Jobs Ireland in helping our workers and businesses succeed in the digital, low carbon economy of the future, ensuring a country in which every citizen and business, no matter where they are based, can progress together.

Access to world-class, high-speed connectivity is core to Ireland’s competitiveness and key to establishing Ireland as a world leader in this transformational digital age – one of the ambitions in Future Jobs Ireland 2019. The National Broadband Plan will foster innovation and employment growth by ensuring that our workforce is connected through world class broadband.

Digitalisation can drive substantial increases in productivity, innovation, social improvements and connections, and economic growth and jobs. To maximise the benefits from digitalisation we will need a strategic approach. Future Jobs Ireland 2019 sets out how we will begin to implement this strategic approach through the development of a National Digital Strategy, an Industry 4.0 Strategy and a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy. The roll out of the National Broadband Plan is critical for the use of advanced digital technologies, core to these strategies, such as the Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems, and cloud and cognitive computing.

Fundamentally, a driving goal of Government policy is to increase the living standards of our people. Increasing productivity levels is a key enabler of achieving this goal. Through Future Jobs we hope to adopt measures to increase the productivity of indigenous SMEs over time. Therefore, I welcome the potential for significant productivity benefits for the almost 44,000 small and micro businesses in the areas where high speed broadband will operate and the potential for them to link to new markets and develop a global footprint. Future Jobs Ireland 2019 includes the ambition of encouraging enterprises to exploit technology and business process improvements to increase productivity. High-quality broadband provision will be vital in this regard.

Investment now in a future-proofed network will also allow for much wider activities in the future – for homes, schools, farms and businesses. Technology is completely transforming our lives and will continue to do so. Future Jobs Ireland recognises that automation, AI and other forms of technology are expected to radically change many jobs, many businesses, and entire industries. A future-proofed network will enable advances in virtual reality, cloud computing, distance learning, precision farming, artificial intelligence, connected devices and the Internet of Things. The National Broadband Plan will allow Ireland to take full advantage of the opportunities in this digital economy which is conservatively expected to expand to more than €21 billion or 6% of GDP, by 2020.

High speed broadband will help diversify the rural economy and will offer further options for intelligent working arrangements, particularly remote working. Future Jobs Ireland 2019 aims to foster participation in the labour market through flexible working solutions. In a tightening labour market such as that in Ireland, offering flexible working options can benefit employers, workers and wider society. We already have a number of companies in Ireland who offer remote working to their employees and this trend is only going to increase in the future. The ability to work in regional locations can help to take the pressure off our cities. It can mean substantial savings for employees in terms of rents and property costs while also reducing the need to commute leading to a better work-life balance, not to mention a more motivated workforce, fewer sick days and greater productivity.

The roll out of the National Broadband Plan will also have a critical role in driving our research and innovation agenda – a key component of Future Jobs Ireland. In this regard the important research work that Science Foundation Ireland funds in terms of developing innovative new technologies in areas such as eHealth, Smart Farming and Drone Technology, all of which will benefit strongly from the implementation of the plan.

The pace of technological change means that workers across skill levels must be prepared to reskill and upskill throughout their working careers, or they face the possibility of being left behind. With this in mind, Enhancing Skills and Developing and Attracting Talent is one of the five Pillars in Future Jobs Ireland. We need to enable enterprises, and SMEs in particular, to invest in upskilling their workforce, including their managerial capacity, to enhance and maintain productivity; to adapt to technological disruption; and to identify and exploit opportunities from the digital and green economies as they emerge. High-speed, high-quality broadband provision across the country will allow more workers to engage in lifelong learning through accessible and flexible training solutions including online courses, webinars etc. Through commitments in Future Jobs Ireland 2019, training providers will be encouraged to increase the provision of flexible training options to ensure that the courses suit the needs of those in employment.

In line with Future Jobs Ireland aspirations, and complementing several Government strategies, delivery of the National Broadband Plan will help enhance the potential of the regions in terms of economic development by progressing the building of regional economic drivers and reinforcing opportunities to diversify and strengthen the rural economy, to leverage the potential of regional locations and communities. The National Broadband Plan will be a key enabler as officials in my Department work with colleagues in the Department of the Taoiseach, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, on the development of new and additional ambitions and deliverables for inclusion in Future Jobs Ireland 2020 and beyond.