Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-11-Speech-2-309"
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"en.20030211.12.2-309"2
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"Mr President, I would like to join with my colleagues in congratulating the four rapporteurs for their work on these reports. This comes at a very important time. Many colleagues have already spoken with regard to the detail of what is contained in these reports and our aspirations for the future.
Nowadays we often hear the claim that the world is at your fingertips: one click and you have access to the whole world. For a lot of people, that one click is like trying to climb Everest because they have not been brought up in the information technology age and they have no access to education or training to ensure that they can make use of this wonderful new tool. Also, a lot of the services that should be provided for people on the Internet are not provided. I speak in particular of people with disabilities, those who have hearing difficulties who could have text messages brought to them, or those who are blind who should have access to voice-activated messages. A lot of these new technologies are too expensive for ordinary users to get access to.
When we look at the overall context of this new vista of the knowledge economy and at the opportunities it presents, there are opportunities, but the risk that we run is, because of the huge amounts of money required in investment and infrastructure, unless governments and other agencies are involved, along with private financing, then peripheral and rural areas will lose out on access to these opportunities.
One of the school initiatives was that there should be one computer for every 15 pupils. Fortunately in Ireland we have succeeded in this respect: we are now above that average. We have one computer for every 12 pupils and every pupil has email access, Internet access and knowledge-based education in their school curriculum every day.
On the healthcare side, one important development that can take place is the delivery of health services to rural and peripheral areas. This particularly applies to islands, where it is not simple or easy to get the kind of technology or the kind of expertise that linking up with the nearest major hospital - with a consultant at one end and the local doctor or nurse at the other end - can provide. This way they can give assistance rather than having to transport people over long distances.
The last point that I would like to make is with regard to 3G. I am very aware of the comments that Malcolm Harbour made in his speech and I agree with him, there is huge potential with regard to 3G. We have already seen the huge explosion in the use of mobile technology. However, the costs involved and the amount of money that is being lost by companies bidding for 3G licences will eventually pass on to the consumer, unless we take control and take charge of ensuring that there is proper regulation of the charges for those services."@en1
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