Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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142. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer or Office of Government Procurement provide any advice to Government Departments or bodies under their aegis on whether future expenditure on software should include an application programming interface; if any such advice is provided by either office or department to Departments or such bodies with regard to the upgrading of existing systems to implement an application programming interface; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46602/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), which is a division of my Department, works in collaboration with Government Departments and agencies across the Civil and Public Service. This is to ensure the delivery of the benefits of digital transformation of public services to both individuals and businesses. Providing advisory support is a key dimension of the work of OGCIO which includes approval of digital initiatives being undertaken by public service organisations.

Government as a Platform is one of the priority action areas in Connecting Government 2030: A Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland’s Public Service, which was published in March 2022. This sets clear direction for public service bodies in relation to the approach to be taken to deliver human-driven, consistent, seamless, integrated, proactive and cross-sectoral public services. It also advises that consideration will be given to approaches such as standards for adopting and co-ordinating application programming interfaces in and across government, to support an interoperable all-of government digital environment.

The Office of Government Procurement (OGP), which is also a Division of my Department, does not provide any advice on the subject of application programming interfaces. While the OGP interrogate specifications with a view to making sure they are market ready, the technical specification of ICT systems being tendered for through OGP services rests with the relevant Public Service clients requiring those systems.