Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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869. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department or agencies under the authority of her Department have performed an assessment of the potential savings to be accrued if current paper-based application processes by members of the public were replaced with a fully online application system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30134/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Digital First strategic objective, which is set out in the Government's Public Service ICT Strategy, proposes the further digitisation of the top citizen interactions with the State. This envisages the increased use of ICT to deliver improved efficiency within the public service and provide new digital services to citizens, businesses and public servants. In light of this objective, my Department's draft Information Technology Strategic Plan 2015-2017 identifies the development of grant and application processing systems, which incorporate efficient customer interaction channels, automated processing aids and enhanced data sharing potential, as a key goal over the lifetime of the Plan, subject to available resources.

With regard to bodies funded from my Department's Vote, the matters raised are part of the day-to-day operational responsibilities of the bodies in question. I am arranging, therefore, for the terms of the Deputy’s Question to be transmitted to the heads of relevant bodies with a request that they provide information, to the extent feasible, directly to the Deputy.