This article summarises Chartered Accountants Ireland’s response in March 2022 to the Irish Government’s Consultation on the Digital Connectivity Strategy, which is a sub-strategy of the national strategy, Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework, launched in February 2022.
The Digital Connectivity Strategy is primarily focused on enabling the delivery of the digital infrastructure dimension, setting out the ambition level and the strategic enablers and initiatives needed to ensure the ambition is met. It seeks to position Ireland as a digital leader, driving and enabling digital transformation across the economy and society.
The consultation asked for input from interested parties in relation to six specific questions. We responded to three of these questions, engaging with the Institute’s Technology Committee to ensure that responses are in line with the views of our members working in this area.
In our introduction, while we recognise Ireland’s ranking as 5th among EU Member States in the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), we believe our digital plans need to be even more ambitious to promote ‘Ireland Inc’ and support our ability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). We also note how the hybrid working model’s success will depend on the availability of reliable broadband and enhanced digital training of the workforce. The pandemic has highlighted issues in rural areas and the digital divides that exist between different groups and sectors. We need to ensure that every citizen living in Ireland has access to the internet via high-speed broadband, which will substantially increase Ireland’s standing on a global stage and bring economic benefits.
Addressing the first consultation question in relation to the ambition level of the strategy, we suggest that the level be even higher and note our concern that the National Broadband Plan is already falling behind schedule. We also recognise that a shift to 6G technology will immediately be upon us when we reach the 5G 2030 goals. We suggest that this strategy is reviewed and updated every two years to ensure that it evolves quickly enough to keep pace with change. A whole of Government approach is needed and we suggest creating a separate portal on gov.ie, presenting all sub-strategies in one place, which could be used to communicate progress to stakeholders of all sub-strategies as well as the overall strategy. We welcome the strategy’s recognition of the need to facilitate and promote research and innovation in the sector, which we see as key to achieving the desired outcomes of the strategy.
The second consultation we address asks how Ireland can ensure it has a sufficiently skilled workforce and the State’s role in developing this area. We recognise the talent shortage Ireland is experiencing and that a dynamic thought process is needed by the Government to ensure that people with the right skills will be available to implement its digital transformation plans. Salaries for senior cybersecurity jobs in the public sector will need to be reviewed to ensure the right calibre of candidates are attracted. Standard applications in the Critical Skills Occupation List category currently take circa 17 weeks to process; we welcome any progress that can be made in shortening processing times.
The State has a leadership role to play in educating our population to support the improvement of digital skills. According to the DESI, although Ireland performs above the EU average in advanced digital skills (for example, for the indicators on ICT graduates and ICT specialists), the basic digital skills of the population are lower than the EU average (53% against 56%). It is important that Ireland continues to focus its efforts on improving the basic digital and software skills to ensure that the workforce is equipped to undertake current and future roles.
We recommend that efforts are made at the primary and secondary school level to equip children and young people with the skills needed to do the jobs of the future. We welcome the €50 million funding announced in December 2021 for schools to address the digital divide, funded under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. We recognise the importance of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and encourage a strong focus in terms of attracting students to take on these subjects. Coding and cybersecurity should be built into school curricula.
Ongoing, long-term initiatives aimed at upskilling and reskilling in higher education are also required in addition to initiatives like Springboard+, Adult Literacy for Life, and those from Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Solas. There may also be scope to develop specific training programmes (similar to the Assured Skills Programme in Northern Ireland) in cybersecurity with large technology companies, which would gain from the engagement with potential employees, good publicity and the wider development of relevant skills in the workforce.
The final question addressed in our consultation relates to general observations. We identify cybersecurity and data protection as key areas that require adequate resourcing. As trust is especially important for attracting FDI, we need to ensure that we continuously enhance skills in these areas and communicate our progress.
We have a particular interest in sustainability and with the net zero goal for 2050 in mind, we believe that the Irish Government will need to do more than just “conduct analysis into positive and negative impacts of digital technological changes on sustainability” as stated in the strategy. All aspects of the strategy will need to be rolled out in a carbon neutral way.
In our conclusion, we recognise that the Digital Connectivity Strategy is a key driver for the future of Ireland’s connectivity and competitiveness and essential for hybrid working practices. Inadequate broadband capacity will undermine the ability of regionally located businesses to compete nationally and internationally and will prevent people living in rural areas from working remotely. Improved broadband infrastructure will enable rural-based businesses to create employment in their local communities, as well as supporting the transition to sustainable and circular economies.
Education and research are key; labour shortages and ever-evolving technological advances create big challenges but also opportunities for the strategy’s success. The area of cybersecurity is of particular concern, considering the developing sophistication of cyberattacks and the importance of trust for the Irish economy. We welcome all progress in the strategy’s goals and suggest continuous engagement with all parties responsible for implementation to ensure delays are identified and a path back to the plan is developed.
The full response is available on our website.