Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday the Taoiseach was asked about the proposal concerning a single Government portal, for which funding had been allocated this year, but it has not yet materialised. Directly linked with this is the research that was supposed to be undertaken to ask people if they actually wanted a single Government portal and establish current attitudes to Government online services. The Taoiseach will remember that in the extremely limited survey of practice in this area carried out by his staff the one consistent learning was that all changes should be led by public demand, not by political proposals. I remind him that there is significant evidence that the move to a single site for all Government information can significantly undermine the level and accessibility of information available on public bodies. Will he explain to the House what has happened to the survey of public opinion, for which we voted funding? The contract was awarded well over a year ago and we were told that it would be completed, even when the marketing unit was stood down. We were also given repeated assurances that we would be consulted on the content of the research before it was carried out. I would like answers to these questions.

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