Watchdog: Online public services plan out of steam

Government efforts to make public services available online has run out of steam, a spending watchdog said today.

However the Comptroller and Auditor General said the state’s eGovernment roll-out was still on a par with other EU countries despite losing momentum since 2002.

In his report on the issue, John Purcell praised the success of the Revenue On-line Service (Ros) and the Motor Tax on-line websites for improving efficiency.

However on-line applications for housing grants, passports, haulage licences and driving licences were all abandoned by Government departments because they were unfeasible.

The estimated cost to complete all eGovernment projects begun between 2000 to 2005 is expected top €420m.

Mr Purcell’s findings also criticised original targets announced in 2002 to deliver all public services on-line by 2005 as “clearly unrealistic.”

He added: “Ireland’s performance in providing on-line transaction services has been assessed as being around the average for EU member states, but some states are delivering significantly higher levels of service on-line.”

He added: “The momentum towards developing eGovernment that existed in the early years of the decade appears to have faded somewhat more recently. ”

The watchdog also said there seemed to be no formal eGovernment strategy since the beginning of 2006 although working is ongoing between departments on setting new targets.

Mr Purcell said eGovernment objectives could be better achieved with greater engagement with relevant departments to identify and resolve barriers to progress.

“Any future initiative of this kind should consider strengthening, supporting and incentivising those organisations that have lagged behind in the development of eGovernment,” he said.