Ireland has slipped out of the top 10 in a league of online government services, as progress in the provision of e-services slowed. A report by Accenture places Ireland in 11th place, down from 10 last year, and the consultancy group said the speed of implementation has not kept pace with recent years and with other countries.
But the Government's overall "Service Maturity" score increased 10 percentage points to 48.6pc, reflecting the introduction of online driving test applications, vehicle registration for car dealers and distributors, and internet ticketing with Bus Eireann.
For the third year in a row, Canada topped the league, with Singapore, the US, Denmark, Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, the UK, Belgium and Germany, making up the remainder of the top 10, in that order.
The study also found that of the 149 services for which the Irish Government is responsible, 139 are available online to some degree, resulting in a "Service Maturity Breadth" rating of 92pc, up from 89.2pc in 2002.
"The challenge for the year ahead, particularly in light of the slowdown in implementation, is to focus its priorities and continue to target those e-government services that will deliver greatest value for its constituents, said Vivenne Jupp at Accenture in Dublin.
Quelle: Business World
