Accenture's fifth annual global e-government study

Ireland
2004 Rank: 11 (joint)
2003 Rank: 11
2002 Rank: 10
Vision introduced: 2002
Vision title:
New Connections
Vision summary:
Ireland’s eGovernment vision has developed
from a view that the application of technology
could transform government service delivery to
eGovernment as a key component of its government
modernization and transformation program.
Its eGovernment objective is to be able to transact
business with government or public service agencies
from a single access point and to provide an
environment for the expansion of e-business in the
private sector.
Regular Internet users (percent of population):
50.46 percent
Regular Internet users who have ever visited an
eGovernment site: 60 percent
Ireland
Ireland has reached a plateau of eGovernment
maturity in the same way as the majority of countries
in our research this year, particularly in terms
of service breadth, depth and customer relationship
management. This may be due in part to a refocusing
of eGovernment efforts to develop enablers that
should boost Ireland’s eGovernment growth in the
coming years.
While the Irish government’s vision for eGovernment
has not changed since its introduction in 2002,
the government is aware of what steps it needs to
take to move forward. In November 2003, the Irish
Information Society Commission called for a reorientation
of the country’s eGovernment strategy
in its report, eGovernment: More than an Automation
of Government Services (www.isc.ie/about/reports.html).
The report emphasizes that government must look
beyond putting services online to how information
and communications technologies can improve overall
public-sector performance. The report describes what
it means to be a truly high-performance government
in the online arena: using eGovernment as one,
albeit important, tool to deliver high-value government
services more efficiently and cost-effectively.
The Information Society Commission’s recommendations
touch on a number of themes covered in this
leadership report, such as the need for a more balanced
approach to eGovernment based on value
and the importance of interoperability. As such, the
commission advises that eGovernment be closely
aligned with overall public reform to improve services,
processes and policies. Additionally, it states that
Ireland must revisit its original target of putting all
services online by 2005 with a clearer focus on measurable
benefits. This is an important point as to date,
Ireland does not have a method of measuring the
tangible benefits of eGovernment. The report also
states that the eGovernment program must incorporate
a variety of channels to accommodate the
needs and preferences of all citizens and businesses.
Ireland recently completed a crucial step in building
an enabling infrastructure. The Reach Agency
(www.reach.ie), a cross-departmental team of civil
servants, has come to the end of its procurement
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