CORK County Council will have 90% of its services available online by 2030 under a multi-million euro transformation of local government online services.
The Local Government Digital & ICT Strategy 2030 aims to roll out national online local Government services – meaning planning applications, licences, permits, payments, community grants and motor tax will be available at the touch of a button and accessible via mobile phones.
‘By aiming to deliver digital services that are accessible and user-friendly, this commitment is now accompanied by a real desire to speed up service delivery time, to allow for easier access, and to embrace innovative improvements,’ said Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Alan Dillon.
The strategy aims to give councils the facility to implement new technological initiatives which to date may not exist in all authorities. That includes information about community facilities such as location, opening hours and events in parks, recreation centres, pitches, playgrounds and trails.
Another facility set for full rollout across the country is the extension of early warning alerts - currently available in some councils – for flooding, health alerts such as e-coli warnings, as well as information from pollution and water quality sensors.
A key aim is also to reclaim the countless hours council staff spend on paperwork over the course of their working week, resulting in improved in-person access to the local authority services for those who do not want to take the digital option. ‘I am convinced that this Digital ICT Strategy will make local services easier to reach and more responsive to all,’ said Minister Dillon.
The initiative is being developed by local authorities, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA).
Of the roughly 1,300 services provided to the public by the country’s 31 local authorities, the strategy aims to place 90% of them online by the end of the decade.
