The Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, has promised that he will act promptly following the publication last week of "Information Society Ireland: Strategy for Action", the report of the Information Society Steering Committee which he set up last year with the aim of providing the Government with a blueprint for the future of information technology. It is a promise he should keep because the steering committee has been true to its task. Its report is a clear, concise analysis of what needs to be done in order to make this State a real player in the rapidly evolving information age.
The report, and its accompanying market research survey, "Attitudes to the Information Society", may surprise those who think, complacently, that our society is at the cutting edge of information and communications technologies. The paucity of knowledge, never mind computer hardware, among businesses is a sharp reminder of how far we must travel before we reach the goal of a society at ease with the new media. Equally, the dearth of equipment and expertise at first, second and third levels of education confirms the suspicion that a lot more action and a lot less talk is required.
To that end the Minister has agreed to one of the committee's main recommendations - the establishment of an Information Society Commission - and he will be announcing the membership of that body shortly. The commission will be charged with shaping and managing, as the report says, the "strategic framework for the Irish information society" and its membership will be drawn - as the committee members were - from the public and private sectors, relevant Government Departments and representatives of the social partners. It will come under the control of the Taoiseach's Department, which, the Minister said, would mean it could "lever the maximum national benefit".
This development, allied to a series of practical steps such as investment in infrastructure and education, tax breaks to encourage business and domestic involvement and more colourful proposals like virtual cities and digital parks, gives the proposed commission a vivid agenda to pursue. If it succeeds, and there is no reason why with sufficient funding, belief and energy it will not, then the rewards will be great. The report mentions the prospect of creating almost 50,000 jobs. What it does not mention in the same detail is the scenario should this initiative fade away.
Every modern country is being forced to re evaluate strategies and policies as the communications and information revolution gathers momentum. Those societies which can embrace change and integrate technology into everyday life will prosper. Those who dither and wait for a clearer picture will may be among the also rans. Although this State has a remarkable record in attracting high technology industries, there is no room for back slapping. As a society we must tune into developments like the Internet and recognise them for what they are tools to help us work, rest and play. There are, of course, dangers in this information and communications freeflow. But broad community awareness and informed leadership can point in the right direction.
Certainly this report goes a long way towards creating the right environment for change. It concludes with a timely warning: "The future that (the report) addresses is not some distant destination in the next century. It is a future that is taking shape now. Ireland's strategy for the information society as set out in this report reflects that urgency and immediacy".