Trust issue with access to services via internet

The country’s chief digital expert has admitted that Government departments and bodies need to earn public trust, so that people can engage with public services online with the same ease as in the commercial world.

Dr Stephen Brennan, the Government’s chief digital adviser, who was attending National Digital Week, also said Ireland should aim to have up to 80% of its businesses selling online, rather than the current 23% that do so.

Asked if the system applied to water charges was an example of a lack of digital linking between State bodies, Dr Brennan said: “I think a lot of Government services are an example of that.”