On Fri, Apr 30, 2004 at 08:36:39PM +0100, Darragh Bailey wrote:
> Has or will the Irish Computer Society take Mr Cullen to task over his
> comments. IMHO no one should be allowed get away with making such false
> comments about anyone.
>From the examiner earlier this week:
Computer experts seek apology from Cullen
AN internationally recognised group of Irish computer experts is
demanding an apology from Environment Minister Martin Cullen for
branding them as anti-globalisation and lacking in expertise during a
Dáil debate on electronic voting. The Irish Computer Society accused
him of abusing parliamentary privelege.
The ICS insists the electronic voting system must include a paper-based
voter-verified audit trail. But when asked to comment on criticisms made
by the ICS in its submission to the Commission on Electronic Voting, Mr
Cullen alleged the ICS is linked to the anti-globalisation movement.
"They are not accredited to anything. They have no expertise or
international accreditation," the minister said on March 31. Ironically,
the ICS is recognised by the Government as a body which has the power to
nominate candidates for elections to the Seanad.
In an official complaint to Ceann Comhairle Rory O'Hanlon, ICS council
member Fintan Swanton said he was seeking a withdrawal of the allegation
and an acknowledgement that the ICS submission was made in good faith.
The ICS also wants the minister to acknowledge that the group's sole
motivation in making it views known was a desire to assist the
commission in the technical aspects of its work.
"The ICS is and always has been completely apolitical, as befits a
professional society, and has no views whatsoever on economic
globalisation. It is of the utmost importance for our credibility as a
professional society that we are accepted as being outside of politics,
and the minister's allegation is extremely damaging to us in this
regard," said Mr Swanton.
According to Mr Swanton, the ICS is completely at a loss to understand
Mr Cullen's association of the group with the anti-globalisation
movement.
Founded in 1967, the ICS is a professional society, whose stated aims
are to develop the information technology profession, to advance,
promote and represent the interests of IT professionals in Ireland and
to advance and promote computer literacy throughout the population.
--
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