[ILUG-Social] IrelandOffline announce Public Meeting Thu July 19 2001

[Brendan Kehoe]

Media contact: Elana Kehoe 087-699-7371
elana at zen.org

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)
Dublin, Ireland--July 16, 2001:

IrelandOffline has announced their first public meeting since they 
formed in May 2001.  Representing hundreds of Internet users from 
around Ireland, the group's executive committee has set the meeting 
for Thursday July 19, 2001, from 7:30p to 9:30p in the Green Room at 
the Mercer Hotel in Dublin.  The volunteer committee, consisting of 
Martin Harran (Acting Chairman), Elana Kehoe (Acting PRO), Niall 
O'Keefe (Acting Webmaster), David Long, John Marcus, Brendan Kehoe 
and others will be available for interviews immediately following the 
meeting.  This will be the first time that the committee and 
supporters of the group have been able to meet face to face. 

The committee will present summaries of recent meetings with 
government authorities and representatives of the telecommunications 
industry.  The meeting will also be used to find ways to raise the 
awareness of the general public to the unacceptably low levels of 
Internet connectivity in Ireland.  Also on the agenda is the official 
election of committee members. 

The IrelandOffline users group, initially formed as a response to 
Esat's cutting off of 2,000 subscribers of its Surf NoLimits program, 
is campaigning for affordable high speed Internet connections for all 
of Ireland.  As part of that initiative, Ireland Offline has already 
had constructive meetings with Esat, the ODTR,  and Minister Mary 
O'Rourke.   A meeting with Eircom's Director Of Regulatory Affairs, 
Pat Galvin, has been scheduled for Thursday morning, with a report of 
the meeting to be given at Thursday evening's public meeting. 

For further information, contact Elana Kehoe or visit 
http://www.irelandoffline.com.

-- 
Member, Ireland Offline
www.irelandoffline.com
Users bringing affordable broadband to Ireland