Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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80. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress of the e-Government Strategy 2012 to 2015; and if work has commenced on a new strategy. [35783/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The 2011 Programme for Government contained commitments to ensure more progress on eGovernment and moving Government services online. The Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011, recognised that there was significant opportunity for increasing the electronic delivery of services and stated that the Government would develop and publish a new eGovernment Strategy to support this opportunity. The Strategy, eGovernment 20122015, was published in April 2012. It was developed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in consultation with the Public Service Chief Information Officer (CIO) Council to progress and support the aims of the Public Service Reform Plan.

Much of what was planned in eGovernment 2012-2015 has been achieved and good progress has been made in relation to other plans. Two particularly significant developments which have taken place since eGovernment 20122015 was launched are the publication of the new Public Service Reform Plan 20142016 and the publication of a Public Service ICT Strategy. Many of the remaining elements included in eGovernment 2012-2015 are now subsumed by or reflected in work being undertaken through a number of initiatives arising from these developments.

Digital Government is a central theme of the Public Service Reform Plan 20142016. The Public Service ICT Strategy, published in January 2015, supersedes eGovernment 2012-2015 and complements the overarching objectives of the 2014 Reform Plan. The provision of new digital services to citizens, businesses and public servants is a key aim of the Strategy.

The Public Service ICT Strategy, sets out a new model for ICT delivery across the entire Public Service, delivering more efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery through a more integrated, shared and digital environment. It identifies a number of key strategic objectives that will set the future direction for innovation and excellence in ICT within the Public Service:

- Build to Share: Creating ICT shared services to support integration across the wider Public Service to drive efficiency, standardisation, consolidation, reduction in duplication and controlling of costs;

- Digital First: Digitisation of key transactional services and the increased use of ICT to deliver improved efficiency within Public Bodies and provide new digital services to citizens, businesses and public servants;

- Data as an Enabler: In line with statutory obligations and Data Protection guidelines, facilitate increased data sharing and innovative use of data across all Public Bodies to enable the delivery of integrated services, improve decision making and improve openness and transparency between Government and the public;

- Improve Governance: Ensure that the ICT strategy is aligned, directed and monitored across Public Bodies to support the specific goals and objectives at a whole-of-government level and with an emphasis on shared commitment; and

- Increase Capability: Ensure the necessary ICT skills and resources are available to meet the current and future ICT needs of the Public Service.

The Public Service ICT Strategy is aligned with the objectives of the 2014 Reform Plan and the goals of the Civil Service Renewal Plan and has the overarching objective of providing better outcomes for citizens, businesses and public servants through embracing the latest technological advances. Further initiatives will be progressed in line with this Strategy.