Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Jan 2003

Vol. 560 No. 1

Written Answers. - E-Government Initiatives.

David Stanton

Question:

882 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the initiatives in place by local authorities to develop e-government at local authority level; the funding made available to the respective local authorities in 2000, 2001 and 2002 in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1086/03]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

New Connections, the Government's action plan for the information society, outlines a number of e-government projects in the local authority area. A copy of New Connections is available in the Oireachtas Library. My Department is not directly involved in delivering these projects, which is the responsibility of the local authorities themselves. The Local Government Computer Services Board, LGCSB, performs a key role in co-ordinating local authority efforts in e-government implementation and in providing local authorities with the systems required to deliver e-government services.

My Department makes payments on behalf of the information society fund to the LGCSB in respect of e-government projects. Details of moneys paid in 2000, 2001 and 2002 follow. However, it should be noted that this does not represent the totality of investment in e-government initiatives by the local authority sector. Local authorities also fund projects in this area from other sources, including their own resources.

2000

Project	Amount(€)
Electronic Procurement	38,246.87
Electronic Planning Administration System	345,182.22
Development of a generic Local Authority Intranet	134,721.71
Total	518,150.80

2001

Project	Amount(€)
Reach Services Forms Generator	738,422.53
Electronic Procurement	198,861.30
Electronic Planning Administration System	509,064.66
Geographical Information Systems	1,372,757.01
Certification of Local Authority Networks	49,830.87
Online Roads and Traffic Information	44,996.98
Mobile Computing Pilot	59,539.29
Electronic Service of Environment Related Laboratory Information	6,856.59
Web Hosting Service	803,177.90
Meath County Council One-Stop Shop Kiosk	48,562.40
Meath County Council Integrated GIS System	50,162.87
Westmeath Integrated Housing ‘Life Event' System	139,866.73
Total	4,022,099.13

2002

Project	Amount (€)
Electronic Procurement	52,846.57
Electronic Planning Administration System	816,993.58
Reach Services Forms Generator	773,549.56
Reach Services Public Help Desk	6,686.57
Web Hosting Service	864,173.31
Online Payments System	135,437.85
Electronic Service of Environment Related Laboratory Information	110,245.12
Westmeath Integrated Housing ‘Life Event' System	165,857.91
Local Authority System Architecture	145,829.62
Meath County Council Integrated GIS System	39,169.87
Certification of Local Authority Networks	120,730.44
Geographical Information Systems	9,211.42
Electronic Library Catalogues	76,394.66
Total	3,317,126.48

In addition to e-government projects, local authorities have undertaken a number of electronic initiatives in public libraries. Some €3.4 million was provided in the period 2000 to 2002 to local authorities from the information society fund to support initiatives such as the provision of Internet PCs for public use, automation of library systems and a pilot scheme for PC based optical scanning facilities for use by visually impaired persons.