The proposed programme for the new government will accelerate the national broadband plan, and set out a comprehensive strategy for digital transformation.
A new government, a new legislative agenda: In Ireland, a new government is about to be formed as a result of a coalition deal between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party. The parties have agreed on a rotating system for the role of prime minister, and on a draft programme for the coming years.
Accelerating the current National Broadband Plan: Ireland’s current broadband strategy is very recent – it was set out in November 2019, with a view to bring speeds between 150Mbps and 1Gbps to 1.1m people. Under the plan, 90% of premises were targeted over the first four years. The new government programme will seek to accelerate this plan, although it has not yet specified in detail how this will be achieved. Emphasis is being placed on prioritising rural areas first, and on facilitating remote working and innovation opportunities to address climate change.
Devising a new Digital Strategy: The incoming government’s programme foresees a public consultation on a new National Digital Strategy, to be published within the first six months. The strategy will have five key pillars: leverage on the improved connectivity of the National Broadband Plan (particularly in rural Ireland); drive digital transformation in the public service (with greater integration of digital services); develop Ireland’s leadership in new digital technologies (including cloud computing, data analytics, blockchain, IoT and AI); support government adoption of new technologies through the development of new public service frameworks; and explore how Ireland can be at the forefront of protecting citizens’ rights with respect to facial recognition technology, access to encryption tools and net neutrality.
