About the Information Society

The Information Society Policy unit (ISPU) part of the Department of the Taoiseach - has overall responsibility for developing, co-ordinating and driving implementation of the Information Society agenda. Our aim is to ensure that Ireland develops as a fully participative, competitive, knowledge-based Information Society, with all of the benefits that entails.  

The policy unit focuses in particular on the seven key areas set out in the Governments Action Plan on the Information Society New Connections. These include:

• the delivery of a robust telecommunications infrastructure; 
• promoting universal engagement and participation, in particular through eInclusion initiatives;
• further developing the potential of eGovernment, i.e. the online delivery of public services;
• furthering Irish competitiveness through the development of enhanced eBusiness capacity;
• promoting and facilitating Lifelong Learning in the knowledge economy;
• stimulating R&D
• promoting a supportive legal and regulatory environment. 

Whilst the Unit has predominantly a policy development and advisory, monitoring and co-ordination role, it also has specific functional responsibility for the following areas: 

• further developing the potential of eGovernment;
• the eCabinet initiative;
• monitoring and reporting on the implementation of eEurope in Ireland
• evaluation, in conjunction with the Department of Finance, of submissions to the Information Society Fund (This fund is due to expire at end 2005).

• eGovernment
• Information Society Structures and Groups
• Information Society Fund