Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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295. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his Department or agencies under the authority of his 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 he will make a statement on the matter. [30143/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is acutely aware of the benefits that can be gained, both in terms of providing enhanced services to the public and in securing greater value for money, by moving from paper based to on-line systems. In recent years, services provided to the public by my Department's Export Licensing Unit, the Companies Registration Office and the Patents Office and have been reviewed and are now all available on-line. Most recently, my Department has also made it possible to make applications to the Workplace Relations Bodies using eForms technologies.

These moves to on-line provision have allowed the services to continue to be delivered efficiently despite significant levels of staff reductions across the Department. For example, in 2014 the cost to customers of filing documents electronically with the Companies Registration Office was approximately €4.9 million less than it would have been had these documents been filed manually. For those forms where there is an eForm available, 80% were used electronically. Furthermore, since the commencement of the Companies Act 2014, the Companies Registration Office has mandated electronic filing, including electronic signing, in respect of certain forms and the Office remains committed to extending electronic filing further. It has also begun to offer digitally certified documents, which it intends to roll out throughout the year to all certificates that it currently issues to companies manually. This will generate savings in postage costs and ensure that the certificates are delivered to customers considerably faster.

The introduction of a system of filing applications for Trade Marks on-line has resulted in the saving of the salary costs of two Clerical Officer posts. In total, it is estimated the Patents Office will achieve financial savings of approximately €50,000 per annum from this initiative.

Procurement has commenced on a new system to allow applications for employment permits to be submitted on-line. The introduction of such a system will future-proof the service and make it capable of managing significant increases in volume demand, without the need for corresponding additional staffing and the resultant physical accommodation that would be required.

My Department will continue to seek opportunities to deliver services on-line as a more customer-friendly, cost-effective, resource-efficient and value for money means of delivering our range of services to our client-base.