Ireland ranked first for e-gov services

Irish people have better access to public services online than most Europeans according to the European Commission.

Irish people have better access to public services online than most Europeans according to the European Commission.

The commission’s ninth e-Government Benchmark Report released yesterday shows Ireland ahead of other countries when it comes to providing e-government services.

The report examined the online availability of 20 basic public services, such as car registration, tax declaration and company registration, across the EU.

Ranking ahead of it’s key European competitors - Britain, Germany and Denmark - Ireland achieved maximum scores, with the full list of basic services online.

The study pointed to the fact that Ireland has a centralised approach to public procurement activity, with the establishment of a National Procurement Service and of a national eTendering platform.

“Contracting authorities have to use etenders.gov.ie and to electronically publish procurement opportunities over €10,000. It is also mandatory for public authorities to use the electronic means for all payments”.

The average availability of online public services in the EU stood 82 per cent in 2010, up from 69 per cent in 2009.

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