Address by Mr. Noel Treacy T.D., Minister for Science, Technology & Commerce, at the Presentation of European Computer Driving Licences to Staff of ESB and WHB at the Menlo Park Hotel, Galway on Friday 21st July 2000 at 8.30pm

Thank you for inviting me to present European Computer Driving Licences (ECDL) to the staffs of both the Electricity Supply Board and Western Health Board. I receive many invitations as a Government Minister and as you will appreciate, it is not possible to accept all of them. However, I always try to attend events such as this, because I believe that it is important to pay tribute to the hard work and achievements of so many people within your organisations.

Tonight, I will be presenting about a hundred licences to staffs of both the ESB and WHB. I am delighted that staff from all levels within the respective organisations, have been able to take part in this programme and successfully complete it. The primary Objective of the ECDL is to promote and encourage computer literacy for all. It ensures that computer users understand best practices and the many advantages of using a PC. It also helps to increase the productivity of employees who need to use computers in their work and enables better returns from investments in Information Technology. Lastly and most importantly, it provides a basic qualification that allows all people, regardless of their background, to be part of the modern Information Society.

Today, computer skills are increasingly important to people in all walks of life. Individuals need to develop a personal portfolio of skills that are continuously upgraded to ensure their employability over a working lifetime in which the concept of a job for life, in some areas of activity or business, no longer holds, unlike the past.

In Ireland, knowledge and learning have always been highly prized for their own innate worth. More recently, the pivotal role of knowledge, education and training in the process of economic expansion has been rediscovered. Modern economics identifies the stock of human capital - the knowledge and skills embedded in our population - and investments in human resource development as among the most important determinants in the process of sustained economic development.

I strongly believe in the need for training and re-training, as it is vital for both business and our national economy as a whole. We must continue to ensure that Irish companies have access to the best skills and technologies available, with resulting benefits to employees, employers and local economies.

The ECDL qualification allows workers and citizens to formally show, with their certification, that they have a good basic knowledge and competence in personal computer use.

In practice the ECDL certificate indicates that the holder has passed one theoretical test that assesses his or her knowledge of the basic concepts of Information Technology (IT), and six practice-based tests. These assess the holder’s basic competence in using a personal computer and working with common computer applications, such as Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Databases and the use of Graphics. An individual skill card is issued for each of the seven exams and the European Computer Driving Licence is awarded on the successful completion of all seven modules. The ECDL is also recognised as an internationally accepted certificate. I understand that the ESB have launched the next phase of ECDL, which is equivalent to a Higher Diploma and I would expect that all of you will develop your skills further when you take this course.

I am delighted therefore that the ESB and WHB have shown great leadership in this area and have made funds available for their staff to study for the ECDL. I compliment the ESB for their foresight in introducing this programme to other state and semi state bodies and to the public at large. I see the ESB and its staff as being the vanguard of a very important movement which will result in the greater efficiency and in the new "Information Society" will reduce the gaps between the haves and have-nots of I.T. skills which are so essential today. I hope that many other companies will follow your enlightened approach and invest their resources in developing their staff.

The pleasant duty that calls me here today is to present the Certificates to all of those who have completed the full syllabus of the ECDL. This event is in recognition by us of the hard work of all concerned and I would like to heartily congratulate all of you on your achievements. I have no doubt that your experience within this programme will benefit you throughout your working and personal lives. I would like to mention a few of the key persons who have enabled this initiative by the ESB and WHB to take place as it takes quite a bit of organisation to put together a course like ECDL together.

M/S Tom Martin, Network Manager Galway, Sean Meaney and Ms. Mary Devine from Limerick encouraged the staff to take the ECDL. This course was provided free of charge but the staff had to undertake it in their own time. M/S Pat Ryan, Cathal Coleman and Ms. Jennifer Duffy, I.T. Department, E.S.B. Head Office organised the course and courseware. Ms. Mary Rabbitte had the painstaking task of scheduling all of the Courses and Mr. Brendan Gallagher delivered it. The course could not go ahead without access to the premises and as it took place mostly in the evenings, I would like to thank Mr. Colie O’Flaherty who made sure that everyone got in and out without any security problems.

From the Western Health Board I would like to thank Mr. Christy O’ Hara, Personnel Manager, University College Hospital who was one of the first from the Western Heath Board to take the course with the E.S.B. and has since continued to encourage further participation in the course from within his own organisation. Finally, to all of the staff of both the Electricity Supply Board and the Western Health Board, I wish you all continued success in your work in the years ahead. It now gives me great pleasure to invite you all to receive your certificates and once again I heartily congratulate all of you.