James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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323. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will detail whether any surveys have been carried out to estimate the amount of time taken up with administrative tasks where such time could be used more efficiently; if so, in which areas of the Department has this examination been carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18492/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has not commissioned any specific surveys to estimate the amount of time taken up with administrative tasks, however, all aspects of our work are kept under review in order to ensure that operations remain fit for purpose.

My Department has established a comprehensive programme of work to deliver on our ICT Strategy to replace legacy and manual processes with new effective business operational models underpinned by modern digital solutions. This programme also supports my Department in achieving the objectives set out in the 2022 National Digital Strategy, Harnessing Digital: The Digital Ireland Framework. Examples of some of the diverse projects that have delivered on this Strategy include the Immigration Service Delivery and International Protection Office Modernisation programmes, whose primary objective was to transition from paper-based processes to digital formats while identifying and eliminating inefficiencies, and the Criminal Justice Operational Hub (CJOH) which supports a growing series of data exchanges between agencies across the criminal justice system, providing a secure area to exchange information.

In 2024, my Department launched its new Service Design Playbook which focuses on implementing user-centred design practices within the Department. This follows the government initiative in the Action Plan for Designing Better Public Services to integrate design as a core consideration. The Service Design approach integrates design activities to gain a deep understanding of users, their pain points, and desires. It enables teams within my Department to iterate quickly, test hypotheses, and gather feedback throughout the project lifecycle, allowing them to evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts and make data-driven decisions to enhance public services.

Helping to guide all of this, my Department uses a change management framework that enables people to embrace, adapt and adopt new ways of working, all in the pursuit of better public services.