Better Public Services article: Department of Social Protection Delivering Digital Public Services

Since its establishment in 2015, the Digital Services Division of the Department of Social Protection (DSP) has been at the forefront of modernising how the Department delivers streamlined, accessible, and efficient public services - aligned with the Digital and Innovation at Scale and Workforce of the Future pillars of the Better Public Services strategy.

With a goal to have 90% of applicable schemes and services online by 2030, the Department’s commitment to innovation is transforming how customers interact with public services, embracing a Digital by Desire uptake. Through collaboration, automation, and customer-centred design, Digital Services is making a tangible impact on the lives of customers and the efficiency of government operations.

Digital Services leads on the development of two platforms - MyWelfare and Welfare Partners which are designed to provide accessible self-service options for individuals and businesses alike.

With 1.7 million active users in October 2024, MyWelfare has become a cornerstone of Public Service delivery, enabling customers to access entitlements and services online, efficiently, and securely. For example, just over 83% of online Illness Benefit claims and 98% of Treatment Benefit claims are awarded automatically, ensuring faster processing times for customers.

The success of these platforms is driven by leveraging shared modules, Application Programming Interface (APIs) and data integration across systems to streamline user journeys - for example by creating online modules that are built to share reduces the time it takes to build new online services while maintaining a consistent design and user experience. This modularity ensures that services are scalable, adaptable, and tailored to specific needs.

In another example, customers applying online for a means assessed pension now have the option to update the means information that they have previously submitted to the Department. This option is possible due to the availability of data through the DSP API that can be surfaced to the customer as they are completing their online Pensions application.

From June 2014 to October 2024, 245 million API calls have supported DSP’s mission to deliver timely, accurate and seamless services to customers. This not only saves time and resources across the Public Service but also accelerates customers’ access to their entitlements eliminating the need for physical forms, telephone calls or in-person office visits. This results in significant savings and better-quality customer experiences. Some of the primary users of the DSP API include the Health Service Executive, Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), Local Authorities and the Road Safety Authority.

The Department also leverages a variety of additional technology to support operational efficiency, including Robotic Process Automation (RPA). RPA is a software that replicates the actions or keystrokes of an application user. RPA has provided year on year benefits to the Department. Since 2020, RPA has processed over 2 million transactions for the Department. These are typically repetitive, mundane transactions that would otherwise need to be performed by a Department Officer. It has freed up staff to undertake other higher value work within the business units. The Department is currently in the early stages of exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence.

As we work towards achieving the government’s Better Public Services vision for digitally enabled services and functions that meet the needs of citizens, we remain committed to innovation, exploring new technologies, and identifying opportunities to harness data effectively.

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