Plans to make 90% of civil services available online

The Government wants to move to having 90 per cent of services provided by the Civil Service available online as part of new reforms aimed at delivering a “digital first” culture.

The objective is set out in a new 10-year strategy document Civil Service Renewal 2030 which was launched on Friday by Taoiseach, Micheál Martin.

The new plan also seeks to “build 24/7 services providing consistent, integrated and end-to-end digital solutions” as well as having a digitally-skilled workforce to deliver a “digital-first” culture.

It also seeks to to “foster public trust in the safety, transparency and value of digital solutions”.

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The plan says that in developing digital infrastructure, “we must be mindful that security breaches are on the rise globally.

“We therefore require a digital infrastructure which leverages opportunities presented by digital while accounting for security, privacy risks and requirements.”

In a foreword to the new plan the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath said: “New developments in information and communications technology have fundamentally changed how we live and interact with one another and have increased the expectations of the public for technology enabled public services.

“These developments emphasise the need for the civil and wider public service to be more agile in terms of digital technology and deliver more customer-driven innovative services. In order to best support Ireland’s society and economy today and into the future, we must seize this opportunity to leverage digital technology in the way we work and serve.”

The new plan says that the public’s appetite for digital services is immense and that people expected access to personal information and the services they needed at the touch of a button.

However, it says that transitioning from typically face-to-face and paper-based services to more digital channels will involve a fundamental change in ways of working alongside an investment in the skills and capabilities of our workforce”.

Under the new plan the Government also wants to develop and implement flexible working models in the Civil Service away from the traditional office-based environment.

“The future of how we work is evolving with the move away from traditional office-based work. The viability and effectiveness of alternative and blended working models was confirmed during the recent pandemic. A move away from a one-size-fits-all approach will allow for different ways of delivering services and meeting the needs of the public. It will offer greater choice in work patterns and will enable greater mobility for staff across the Civil Service, public service and the private sector. The acceleration of online systems, virtual teams, and blended working options all lend themselves to more flexible work practices.”

The plan also says that a new public sector decarbonisation strategy would set a public sector decarbonisation target of at least 50 per cent by 2030. It says that Civil Service “will be to the forefront in realising this ambition”.

Mr Martin said: “The upheaval of the last 15 months has shown how adaptable and committed our civil servants are, and I know that the Civil Service will respond with ambition and creativity to drive economic development and inclusive growth across our society in a post-pandemic Ireland”.

Mr McGrath said: “We must build on our strengths while tackling head on, any blocks to achieving our vision.”

"The Ireland of 2030 may look very different to the Ireland of today, so by setting our key priorities over a 10-year period, we align ourselves very strongly with our vision of an innovative, professional and agile Civil Service that improves the lives of the people of Ireland through excellence in service delivery and strategic policy development."