Irish E-Minister

Fergus

I keep reading about all these wonderful statements from Britain's E-Commerce Minister:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/22/21870.html

The British govt seem to think e-Commerce is important enough to warrant a minister, so why not the Irish one?

Boston

apparently she is a useless biatch with no real power. but im only quoting the reg her

dahamsta

It's a 'he' Boston. You're probably thinking of Patricia Hewitt, who was the e-commerce minister (same thing) last year (she's in charge of the DTI this year). Or maybe his sister, Wendy?

adam

Boston

yea its the first one im thinking of, anyway, less spin is better

NeilF

Originally posted by dahamsta
Patricia Hewitt, who was the e-commerce minister (same thing) last year

And also minister for textiles, as the Register liked pointing out...

Anyway, who would you pick from the currently elected lot as an Irish e-commerce minister? I can't think of anyone. Do any of our TDs come from a technological background?

dahamsta

In reverse order...

Do any of our TDs come from a technological background?

Although it could be a boon, they don't particularly need to come from a technological background. Ministers come and go, it's their departments and their staff that stay, and their advisors and consultants who should have the answers. On top of that, in some cases it could create serious problems, particularly in Ireland. To be completely honest, I'd prefer to have someone who had absolutely no ties to the technology or telecommunication industry in Ireland. It's so inbred at the management level it's sickening.

Anyway, who would you pick from the currently elected lot as an Irish e-commerce minister?

I honestly don't know, but Fergus recently pointed the committee to a policy document by Ivan Yates which seems to be quite well thought-out. I haven't read the entire document, but the section on telecommunications strikes a chord.

Course, it was written in July 2000, but who knows what situation we'd be in now if Fine Gael were in power. (This is not an endorsement, just a thought).

adam

b20uvkft6m5xwg

In relation to picking an e-commerce minister.
The post would need to be filled by a strong parliamentarian who knows how to get things done.

Having some minor background knowledge may be helpful, but by any ministers own admission, its the Civil Servants and Consultants who will do the donkey work- it is their selection that is paramount. All succesful dept.s are built from the ground up!

Fergus

I honestly don't know, but Fergus recently pointed the committee to a policy document by Ivan Yates which seems to be quite well thought-out. I haven't read the entire document, but the section on telecommunications strikes a chord.

I did some checking on this the other day. Yates stood down at a reshuffle a while back. Their central office appears to think Charles Flanagan TD is now the guy dealing with the Internet. I'm in the process of writing a letter to him at the moment with a heap of facts and figures gleamed from the forum etc.

My main reason for wanting an e-minister (junior minister or whatever) is that (a) the present minister (O'Rourke) seems to be involved in 101 different sectors and issues (airlines, etc) and is spread far too thin, and (b) there is no obvious direct route to the gurus in the DPE that are dealing with the situation.

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Of course Fergus dont forget Gerard Reynolds TD, who is FG's spokesman on the regions and also the only TD ever to mention IOffline in the Dail. He is very concerned w/ developing the internet west (and North- thats good news for ye Martin;)) of the Shannon

NeilF

It's been a while since I've watched an episode of "Yes Minister" The civil servants are the people who get things done. Leaving an interest in technology aside who would you like? Would you be happy with O'Rourke? I think she is an able minister but like Fergus said she deals with so much that it sometimes looks likes nothing gets done.

The reason I was asking about technologically inclined TDs is that would it be a benefit to us to have a backbencher or two who the committee could meet and keep up to date. You'd hope that if a debate came up they might speak up. Contacting the opposition spokesperson is great idea. I had a quick look at that paper and, as you'd expect from someone in opposition, it makes a lot of sense.

The Cigarette Smoking Man

We got a commission today:

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2001/1127/breaking40.htm

jd

Originally posted by NeilF
The civil servants are the people who get things done.

rotflmao
I know people who work in state agencies who try and get things done (eg complete scientific research programs).
A large proportion of career Civil servants do sweet fa and resent people who try and do anything that may be of some benefit to society at large..they know the size of their ass in relation to their chair, the price of everything- the value of nothing
lol
jd

dahamsta

A large proportion of career Civil servants do sweet fa and resent people who try and do anything that may be of some benefit to society at large.

You're absolutely right jd, but the fact remains - they're still the people who actually do the work, and implement the policies.

adam

corkie

FG calls for appointment of e-commerce Minister (The Irish Times)
David Roe
The Fine Gael spokesperson on enterprise, trade and employment, Mr Charles Flannagan, has called on the to Government to appoint a Minister of State with specific responsibility for e-commerce.

.....

"The Government appears to have lost its focus and leadership in the whole area of e-business and e-commerce, which it has trumpeted so loudly in the past,"

Okay I open this by saying 'Our message is getting through to the powers that be or...'
that the commitee's efforts and/or
the members who have written to their TD's is having an effect
also the media attention we got through the Blackout.

I am just wondering did a Flyer land in the right hands.

On the opposite side of the scale may be the 'powers that be'
or just looking for votes (since we will be having an election in the new year) by doing things that should have been done allready.

Another news feature on ENN.ie

Erkki Liikanen, the European commissioner for enterprise and technology, said on Wednesday that the EC is considering a lawsuit against as many as 11 EU states.

Read more on the ENN.ie also this story get front page of the business section of the Irish Indo. Could not find a link on the site for it.
But the title was 'Eircom face EU action over loop' or something along that lines.

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Just a bit of a constituional issue I just thought about there....

The constitution would need be changed to increase the number of ministers currently-thus needing a referendum. Which is unlikely. So an e-minister would HAVE to be adjunct to another dept. such D.Entemp or D.Sci & Educ. as a Junior Minister.

Just thought I'd add that to the mix:)

Originally posted by jd
A large proportion of career Civil servants do sweet fa and resent people who try and do anything that may be of some benefit to society at large..

No More civil service bashing or there'll be Barney Rubble! There are distinct partitons within the Civil Service in which members of the "Higher CS Union" are for all intents and purposes the policy makers of this country- FACT !!

billy the squid

Is this commission going to be like every comission enquiry tribunal sub committee and drag on and on and on

I dont know about the rest of you but the way I cee it is they have to put the civil servants from eircom somewhere might as well set up this commission to keep them busy

PiE

Originally posted by Fergus
I'm in the process of writing a letter to him at the moment with a heap of facts and figures gleamed from the forum etc.

Might be an idea to stick a copy of that on the IO website so that members can fire off a well written and knowledgeable letter to their own TD's?

Or something.

jd

Originally posted by 80project


No More civil service bashing or there'll be Barney Rubble! There are distinct partitons within the Civil Service in which members of the "Higher CS Union" are for all intents and purposes the policy makers of this country- FACT !!

The problem is, even within the "higher cs union" a very conservative outlook within various departments. The point I'd makes is that the easiest decision they can make is often "no"-because you don't have to justify a negative decision especially when they don't really understand what they are making a decision on..
Also without getting too specific, some administrators do resent the professional (eg engineering, scientific,technical,etc) staff, and quite like showing them who is boss.
jd