Vast majority of Local Authority services will be available online by 2030.
Digital portals to be installed in local authorities allowing access to services and information.
Every local authority in Ireland will have 90% of its services available online by 2030 thanks to a new multi-million euro transformation of local Government online services. The Local Government Digital & ICT Strategy 2030, launched today (July 18th 2024) by the Minister of State for Local Government and Planning Alan Dillon TD, will radically change how the public interacts with their county and city councils.
The plan also aims to roll out national online local government services – meaning services such as planning applications, licences, permits, payments, community grants, motor tax and permits will be available at the touch of a button and accessible via mobile phones.
The strategy aims to give councils the facility to implement new technological initiatives which to date may not exist in all authorities.
Among these planned initiatives are digital hubs for information about community facilities such as location, opening hours and events in parks, recreation centres, pitches, playgrounds and trails.
Another facility which is slated for full rollout across the country is the extension of the early warning alerts currently available in some councils such as for flooding, health alerts such as e-coli warnings, as well as information from pollution and water quality sensors.
Another of its key aims is to reclaim the countless hours council staff spend on paperwork over the course of their working week, enabling them to redirect their efforts to other key initiatives in support of the local communities.
The plan seeks to balance new efficiencies (through less hours spent on paperwork) with improved in-person access to the local authority services for those who do not want to take that option.
Minister Dillon today emphasised:
“We know that local authorities are committed to putting people first but by aiming to deliver digital services that are accessible and user-friendly, this commitment is now accompanied by a real desire to speed up service delivery time, to allow for easier access, and to embrace innovative improvements. I am convinced that this Digital ICT Strategy will make local services easier to reach and more responsive to all.”
The initiative is being developed by local authorities, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA).
Of the roughly 1,300 services provided to the public by the country’s 31 local authorities, the strategy aims to place 90% of them online by the end of the decade.
Digital portals will be installed in local authorities which will contain the full digital service catalogue and show user-relevant information.
Supporting the initiative, Ireland’s first local Government National Security Operation Centre (SOC) will be implemented, providing state-of-the-art cybersecurity to local authorities.
The strategy is structured as a roadmap that encompasses four pillars: Digital Services, Digital Communities, Digital Workforce and Digital Systems.
“Everything provided by local authorities will be much simpler to use, with minimum clicks from the beginning to the end of a process. This will solidify Ireland as a technology innovator in the provision of services and Ireland has the potential to become a leader in class from a Gov-Tech perspective” said Saab Khan, Chief Information Officer at the Local Government Management Agency.
For more information on the strategy, please visit https://bit.ly/DigitalStrategy2030.