The release of the first annual report by the Information Society Commission yesterday lived up to one of its own recommendations: it was published simultaneously on paper and the Commission's new Website (www.infosocomm.ie).

The 49-page document identifies increased low-cost broadband communications, tackling skills shortages, and ensuring adequate copyright protection as the three main areas to be addressed for Ireland to get maximum benefit from the emerging information age.

Of these three areas, the report says: "Competition will be crucial to lowering broadband costs, and targeted investment in education and skills building will be the key to eradicating skills shortages. Effective legislation is also required to safeguard intellectual property rights. More needs to happen more quickly in these areas."

The Information Society Commission was set up by the Government last May, following an earlier steering group report which called for action to prepare Ireland for the information age.

Chaired by Ms Vivienne Jupp, of Andersen Consulting, its task is to advise the government on the development of an "inclusive and dynamic" information-based society, concentrating on the five areas of awareness, infrastructure, learning, enterprise, and government.

The Commission notes that Ireland's geographic location and lack of mineral resources have hampered its development to date, but says the key ingredient in the information age is imagination, "which Irish people have always had in abundance".

The report contains many recommendations in these areas. It recognises that the use of new information technologies is low and calls for new measures to increase public awareness in the area.

It says that access to the Internet should be cheaper and also calls on the media, and RTE in particular, to "recognise the growing interest in Information Society issues". The Commission asks companies set to gain from the development of IT to sponsor awareness-raising activities.

On the key area of infrastructure, the Commission calls for the full potential of the cable sector to be realised with deployment of cable modems, and the use of socalled xDSL digital technologies to maximise the use of existing telephone networks.

The Commission asks the government to issue "clear policy guidelines in relation to digital broadcasting and convergence . . . as a matter of urgency", and calls for additional structural funds for telecommunications infrastructure projects, in addition to the 10 million ECUs already available.

It welcomes the appointment last June of a telecommunications regulator, as well as the advances made in upgrading the State's telecommunications and cable networks.

However, it is critical of the lack of published tariffs for data links in excess of 2Mbits per second, saying: "Many enterprises require capacity of up to 34Mbits per sec."

Welcoming initiatives in education and learning, the Commission identifies a need for lifelong learning, if people are to stay in touch with technological advancements. It recommends ISDN Internet connections for every library in the State so all citizens will have access to email by 2000. It also calls for the speedy implementation of the measures announced in the £250 million Education Technology Investment Fund and the Schools IT 2000 initiative.

The Commission says it will develop proposals to include marginalised groups learning programmes, since disadvantaged groups could gain substantially from the current developments.

On the subject of enterprise, the report says Irish society, and in particular small and medium enterprises, need to make more use of information technology.

The Commission is calling for a more integrated approach to training between various Government departments to target emerging skills shortages, and says new modes of working such as contracting, teleworking, and home working must be included in national labour force data.

It also says it will monitor and support the so-called digital park, proposals for which Forfas has submitted to Government.

The report splits the area of Government action into two subsections: legal issues, and Government services and social inclusion.

On the subject of legal issues, it calls for the publication of a copyright Bill before the Dail's summer recess, the abolition of stamp duty on the transfer of intellectual property rights, and additional resources for the patents office to clear the backlog of trademark applications.

The Commission also calls for legislation to allow electronic communications to be admissible in civil proceedings, and for the immediate implementation of EC Database Directive and the implementation before next October of the EC Data Protection Directive. It welcomes moves to develop encryption and digital signatures which will facilitate electronic commerce over the Internet.

Eoin Licken is at eoinl@iol.ie

Main recommendations of the Commission's report

Increased low-cost broadband telecommunications through increased competition.

Investment in education and skills building to eradicate emerging skills shortages.

Publication of the Copyright Bill before the Dail's summer recess.

Clear government guidelines for digital broadcasting.

Realisation of the full potential of the cable industry.

ISDN Internet connections for every library giving every citizen email access by 2000.

Abolition of stamp duty on transfer of intellectual property rights.