Building the Knowledge Society - Department of Communications ...

36 Building the Knowledge Society Information Society Commission2.10\ Social InclusionAs noted by the National Economic and Social Council, an important feature of the socialpartnership process in Ireland since 1987 has been recognition of the mutually reinforcingnature of economic and social policies – as reflected, for example, in the complementaritybetween the National Employment Action Plan and the National Anti Poverty Strategy. 26There is also increasing recognition at EU level of the importance of social policies to facilitatingthe development of a dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy. An associated shiftin emphasis is that from employment per se to quality of jobs.Along with a general move towards evidence-based policy-making, these developments havesubstantially increased demand for statistics and indicators at all levels of social policy. However,collection and use of data is less well developed than in other areas. The Commission notes andwelcomes in this context the work that is underway within Government through the SteeringGroup on Social and Equality Statistics towards establishing appropriate indicators to supportpolicy development in the social inclusion area.2.11\ Relative StrengthsIreland’s relative strengths in addressing the challenges of the emerging knowledge societycan be represented as follows:• Our relatively small size as a country enables us to respond quickly to new developments,and this has been a key factor in underpinning our competitiveness and economic successto date.• The establishment of the Cabinet Committee on the Information Society in 2001, and theappointment this year of Ms Mary Hanafin TD as Minister of State at the Department of theTaoiseach with special responsibility for the Information Society, equips us with the policyframework needed to coordinate and drive forward this agenda with the necessary urgencyat the highest level of Government.• Government’s New Connections Action Plan produced in April 2002 captures the key policycommitments that need to be progressed. The challenge is largely one of moving quickly frompolicy to implementation.• The Broadband Strategy approved by Government earlier this year, and overviewed in theNew Connections Action Plan, reflects a new level of public policy engagement with theunderlying importance of broadband as a key 21st century infrastructure. This commitmentis being underpinned by the appointment in December 2002 of the new Commission onCommunications Regulation (ComReg), putting in place a new regulatory regime to supportpublic policy objectives.26 An Investment in Quality: Services, Inclusion and Enterprise, NESC 2002