Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to focus on the Minister's plans for information technology. In the long term, this country has to develop an IT policy and get IT working properly throughout the public sector. A piecemeal approach is being taken across the various sectors at present. It is amazing that some schools are using iPads while other schools have nothing other than the most basic IT supports for their students. The implementation of IT in the health service is quite chaotic, although some fantastic projects are coming on line. Is an IT policy and implementation group overseeing this area across the public sector as a whole? It is especially important given that a huge investment is to be made to encourage software and IT multinationals to come here, as the Minister has pointed out. What is the Minister's view of the future of this sector? What are we doing about it?