The facilitation of e-commerce through the e-commerce Bill is one of the key enablers which could make the Republic one of the first truly networked nations, Mr Brendan Tuohy, secretary general of the Department of Public Enterprise, said yesterday.

Speaking at a conference hosted by Davy Stockbrokers, Mr Tuohy said the Republic could sustain its position as Europe's leading knowledge economy but it was essential that the Government and all sectors of the community continued to take a pro-active role to sustain that position.

He said the e-commerce Bill, which is currently going through the Oireachtas, was "world leading" and would be used as a model by other countries. Mr Tuohy said the Bill intended to remove existing legal impediments and uncertainties that had arisen as a result of the growth in e-commerce. He said it would facilitate growth rather than introduce a new legal framework.

"It would be impossible and limiting to introduce a new set of laws for e-commerce. There is no reason the laws that currently govern traditional commerce should not apply to e-commerce," he said.

He said the Bill was founded on two basic principles, functional equivalence of electronic media and technological neutrality.

Mr Tuohy said, although the title of the Bill suggested it was important only for the commercial world, this was misleading. The vision of what the information society should mean in Ireland is one that includes homes, schools, businesses and Government, he added.

He said the Bill was part of a package of measures which included the International Connectivity Project (agreement between Global Crossing and the Government) and Broadband Programmes which would bring advanced telecoms capacity to the Republic.

"We must not forget this unprecedented opportunity to leave a lasting legacy and to buttress all Irish society into the 21st century," said Mr Tuohy.