Members of the public and the business community can correspond with my Department using e-mail, and this means of communication is increasingly being used. The Department also operates a website on which reports, speeches etc. are also increasingly being made available. Within the Department, information technology is being more and more integrated into the work environment.
There are no schemes in place to grant-aid or assist education in the use of information technology in the day to day dealings of the Department, though naturally measures are in place to ensure that staff in the Department receive training in the use of information technology in their workplace.
Considerable progress has been made recently regarding increased use of information technology both within the Department and across the entire public administration. However, new and emerging technologies, including the Internet, offer potential for further improvements, particularly in the area of delivery of public services. An inter-departmental group, chaired by an official from my Department, is examining the implementation of the Information Society in Ireland. This group is considering the full range of issues arising under the Information Society, including improvements in the delivery of public services. The group will be making a report to Government very shortly.
