IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

With major efficiencies and savings already achieved, Offaly Local Authorities is among the local authorities that are now leading the reform agenda with an extensive programme of shared services to enhance the services available to citizens and businesses, while also delivering further savings, according to a report by the County and City Managers’ Association (CCMA).

The Interim Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review (LGER) Implementation Group by the CCMA shows that €830 million in financial savings have already been delivered at local government level between 2008 and 2012 through efficiency gains and reductions in expenditure and staff numbers.

Read more: IE: Citizens in Offaly to benefit from further efficiencies in local government

Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin, TD, appears uneasy at the prospect of social media being used by the public service and said today communicating your message through social media “is not especially well suited to the public services environment.”

In a speech given to the Public Relations Institute's Annual Conference and published in full on Politics.ie, Howlin seemed to infer that social media was a double-edged sword for spin doctors endeavouring to "manage the message."

It is clear that the speed of platforms like Twitter and how easily politicians can fall afoul of social media seems to have the spin doctors generally in a tizzy - most want to drum up business by appearing to be up with the trends, while others may see it as another burden associated with keeping on top of the 24/7 news machine.

Read more: IE: Howlin to spin doctors: ‘social media may not be suited to public service’

DCU Business School is starting three new MSc programmes in September in cloud computing, digital marketing and strategy to help equip graduates with skills in high-growth areas and to help tackle Ireland’s ICT skills gap.

The programmes have been devised, based on the needs of industry. Microsoft, for instance, has been heavily involved in devising the new cloud computing MSc, in addition to the other two programmes.

According to the university, the MSc in management (cloud computing) has been designed to develop people's knowledge and expertise in the principles, technologies, services, applications, challenges and benefits of cloud computing. DCU said the master's is intended for graduates from a business background.

Read more: IE: New cloud and digital marketing master’s at DCU to tackle ICT skills gap

Fáilte Ireland scooped the overall eGovernment Award 2012 for its Discover Ireland website. It has been suggested that money could be raised for the Exchequer if e-government leaders got together and sold their know-how abroad.

The awards were presented by the Minister for Expenditure and Public Reform Brendan Howlin, TD.

At the awards, organiser Maeve Kneafsey of Elucidate said much-needed funds could be raised for the Exchequer if know-how gained by fast-moving Irish State bodies in the e-government space was commercialised and sold overseas.

Read more: Could Irish State bodies export e-government know-how?