Ireland’s central government
portal (http://www.irlgov.ie) provides a
sound platform for the continuing sophistication of government services online,
with its organization around the life events for citizens via Oasis and for business via BASIS.
According to Accenture’s
third annual global eGovernment study, “Realizing the Vision”, national
governments throughout the world significantly improved their online service
delivery and administrative effectiveness this past year. Ireland was among the top 10 countries in
providing its citizens with electronic access to federal programs and services,
at the time and place of their choosing.[1]
Ireland announced its
eGovernment vision in September 2000 by creating a public services broker that
will eventually function as an electronic one-stop-shop where the public can
access and apply for a wide range of state services and benefits. The formation of the Reach Agency in September 2000 was a key
milestone in achieving the goal of fully integrated delivery of public
services. The Agency, a
cross-departmental team of civil servants, carries the responsibility of
delivering the infrastructure to make Public Services Broker a reality.
Ireland’s Information Society Commission is in the process
of comparing Ireland’s G2C services against other countries and seeks to
identify best practices that meet Ireland’s requirements.[2]
Of the 120 services for
which the Irish Government is responsible, 107 are available online to some
degree, reflecting gains made in the coverage of its online services to
citizens and business. The Irish
Government introduced a total of 33 new online services in 2001. For example, businesses can now apply for an
environmental assistance grant from the Department of Environment via the BASIS (Business Access to State Information and
Services) website, which offers a single point of access to all government
information and services, including links to all state funding and grants.[3]
The Irish Government
promoted five existing services to Transact level and 11 to Interact level in
2001. For example, businesses can pay
their import/export duties online to the Office
of the Revenue Commissioners via Icarus-econ, the service provider that
links the trade with the Revenue’s Automated Processing System.[4]
Ireland’s procurement portal
(www.e-tenders.gov.ie) is another
area of opportunity for the government, which has plans in place to develop a
more comprehensive life-cycle system.
The Irish Government has also recently completed an eProcurement
strategy, which will be piloted early next year at the local government level.[5]
Progress is expected over
the coming years in the area of Human Services, where the Irish Government has
plans to revolutionize the health service.
Regional health boards, such as the Southern
Health Board have already taken the lead in putting services online and
national government plans to do the same.
[1] “eGovernment Leadership -- Realizing the
Vision.” The Government Executive
Series. Accenture. April 24, 2002.