- Work Programme of the DRA
- Regional Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area 2004-2016
- Mid-Term Review of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 - Dublin Regional Authority's Submission
- Agenda for Dublin
- ICT infrastructure and use in the Dublin Region
- Encouraging Digital Inclusion in Dublin
- County and Group Broadband Scheme
- 2008 Activities
- 2007 Activities
- 2006 Activities
- 2005 Activities
- Annual Reports and Newsletters
Regional Activity
Encouraging Digital Inclusion in Dublin
Addressing the digital divide and encouraging digital inclusion are key policy priorities at local, national and EU levels. The Government Action Plan on the information society states that new technologies such as the Internet are transforming Irish society. ICTs allow new ways of interacting that challenge the boundaries of what has been possible traditionally and also offer new opportunities to address traditional problems of disadvantage and exclusion.
The Action Plan further states: "However it is also clear that public policy interventions are needed to avoid the danger of exacerbating existing inequalities, and to prevent the emergence of what has become known internationally as a digital divide" (Department of the Taoiseach, 2002). This thinking is reflected in the core EU policy eEurope 2005 - aimed at creating new jobs, boosting productivity, modernising public services, and giving everyone the opportunity to participate in the global information society (European Commission, 2002).
The City of Dublin recently published a strategy that sees Dublin in 2012 as a city that harnesses the power of communications technology to connect and inform people, create opportunities and tackle social exclusion. Disadvantaged residents and communities in Dublin will need to participate fully in the information society. Core skills in ICTs and digital media will need to be enhanced through training and education, schools and homes will need to be networked to ensure equal access to information through the Internet, and community champions and community media centres will need to be resourced to effectively use ICTs (Dublin City Development Board, 2002). Also concerned with digital inclusion are the business groups the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, which sees addressing the digital divide as a strategic priority to make Dublin "a world-class e-city" and ICT Ireland, for whom an expanded educated and responsive skills base is a strategic priority (Dublin City Chamber of Commerce, 2001; ICT Ireland, 2001).
The Dublin Regional Authority, Dublin Employment Pact and the four Dublin City and County Councils agreed in 2002 to undertake a strategic analysis of the engagement of Dublin residents and communities with ICTs. This study, which will be finalised in October 2003, will include a literature review, a population survey, a qualitative investigation, and a high-level analysis that will focus in particular on the situation of excluded groups and communities. The report will provide the most extensive analysis to date of the use of ICTs in Dublin and will recommend strategies for encouraging digital inclusion in Dublin. It will be a useful resource for communities in Dublin, especially disadvantaged communities, and policy makers at local and national levels.
