Minister Donohoe published new Digital Inclusion Roadmap
The TD, Paschal Donohoe, who is in charge of public expenditure, has released Digital for Good: Ireland's Digital Inclusion Roadmap.
According to the Department, as technology becomes more integrated into our everyday lives, there is a concern that certain individuals may be put at a disadvantage and consequently overlooked. Nevertheless, the government asserts that they are actively working towards ensuring digital inclusion by improving skills, access, and infrastructure.
Digital for Good: Ireland’s Plan for Digital Inclusion aims to consolidate this effort in a logical fashion and outline important additional actions. This will assist the authorities in enabling and assisting all individuals to effectively utilize digital services. Furthermore, this aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ core principle of ensuring that nobody is left behind.
The objectives for the Roadmap are:
• To ensure that Ireland becomes one of the leading nations in terms of digital inclusion within the European Union; • To establish Ireland as one of the most digitally inclusive countries in the EU; • To prioritize and strive towards achieving digital inclusivity in Ireland, positioning it as a frontrunner among EU member states; • To actively work towards making Ireland a benchmark for digital inclusiveness within the European Union; • To prioritize efforts in making Ireland an exemplary example of digital inclusion among EU nations.
• It is crucial for everyone to have the chance to access digital services, including digital public services, in a significant manner.
During the announcement, Minister Donohoe expressed his pleasure in unveiling Ireland’s Digital Inclusion Roadmap, titled "Digital for Good". He highlighted various ongoing efforts and assistance programs that will play a significant role in enhancing digital inclusion. These initiatives aim to address the gaps in skills, access, and infrastructure, thereby minimizing the digital divide at all levels, spanning from national to local and community-wide.
"Digital with a Purpose: Ireland's Path to Inclusive Digital Engagement combines these efforts in a organized way and presents vital complementary actions."
Minister Donohoe expressed his gratitude towards the representative organizations that were involved in the creation of the Roadmap, recognizing their active participation and valuable inputs.
The Roadmap also aims to convey the request made to public service organizations in the Public Service Transformation 2030 Strategy - Better Public Services, to recognize and rank actions that promote digital inclusivity, ensuring that nobody should be excluded.
Minister Ossian Smyth stated: "By following this Roadmap, we are reaffirming our dedication to incorporating digital inclusion as a fundamental aspect in the creation and provision of excellent digital public services. This showcases our belief that adopting a digital by default strategy for public services doesn't imply solely relying on digital means."
The blog section utilizes the elements of the country's digital plan, Exploiting Digital - Advancing Business through Digitalization, Digital Infrastructure, Competencies, and Digitalization of Government Services - as the framework to convert top-level promises into actions aimed at attaining these desired results.
The promises listed in the Roadmap are as follows:
• to accomplish digital inclusivity by implementing a comprehensive and unified all-encompassing government strategy in order to adhere to the United Nations principle of not excluding anyone from digital resources and opportunities
• To keep our attention on the goal of ensuring that everyone can make the most of digital opportunities in a meaningful manner. This includes providing the necessary access to digital infrastructure and ensuring that individuals are equipped with the confidence, skills, and literacy needed to actively participate in a digital society.
• to capitalize on the eagerness of companies to support digital inclusiveness;
• to renew our dedication in integrating digital inclusion as a fundamental element in the development and execution of excellent digital public services. By doing so, individuals will be motivated to opt for utilizing digital public services and, concurrently, allocate resources to support those who are unable to access them.
• to enhance people's knowledge and ensure confidence in utilizing digital public services universally; • to promote wider recognition and uphold faith in digital public services across the board; • to generate increased awareness and sustain reliance on digital public services for the entire population; • to foster greater understanding and instill trust in digital public services for everyone.
• to solicit feedback from users of services during the development of digital public services; and
• to evaluate the effects and results of our initiatives towards digital accessibility.
Image: Clodagh Kingston, the head librarian at Cabra library, showcases the internet-based services provided by laptops to Minister Paschal Donohoe, a representative from the Irish Parliament.
