Speech to the eolas Public Services Conference 2024

Eolas ‘Public Services 2024’

The Gibson Hotel, Dublin

Wednesday, 15 May 2024

Check against delivery

Good morning everyone.

It is my pleasure to be here with you this morning to play a part in this year’s Public Services Conference organised by eolas. It is very motivating to see so many Public Servants and experts from home and abroad gather together to reflect on developments in the sector.

Today’s event comes at a time when we are dealing with many challenges across the Public Service. But it is also a time where we have clearly set out our ambition and positive vision for public service transformation.

Our key strategy in that regard is Better Public Services, which I launched last year; a strategy for the period to 2030. A focus of the strategy is around enhancing delivery across the Public Service. The programme today aligns closely with that agenda, particularly in terms of the design and delivery of policy and services.

The vision set out in the strategy is for ‘Inclusive, high quality and integrated Public Service provision that meets the needs, and improves the lives, of the people of Ireland’.

The Public Service Transformation Framework is at the core of the strategy and comprises three priority themes:

• Digital and Innovation at Scale;
• Workforce and Organisation of the Future; and
• Evidence-Informed Policies and Services Designed for and with our Public

This transformation programme will enhance the resilience of the Public Service to face future challenges; apply modern working methods and digital tools; improve evidence-based decision-making; strengthen innovation strategies; improve policy-making and delivery of public services; and increase the capacity and efficiency of the Public Service.

The framework is being implemented across Public Service Bodies with flagship programmes agreed by the Public Service Leadership Board. Public Service Bodies are identifying and implementing actions to drive transformation in line with the framework.

They are asked to incorporate the priorities of the framework into corporate strategies, to align the delivery of their reform priorities in their business plans with the Framework, and to report on progress in their annual reports.

The Public Service Leadership Board (PSLB), with Secretary General/CEO level representatives from government departments and a broad range of public service organisations, play a key role in achieving the ambition of the strategy, in particular, by working together on shared priorities at a strategic level.

Collectively, we are making real progress on the agenda laid out in Better Public Services. I’d like to update you on some highlights.

I was pleased to announce earlier this year that Ireland placed in the top 10 of international performers in the 2023 Digital Government Index published by the OECD.

One of our flagship projects to drive access to innovative digital public services under Better Public Services is the Life Events programme and the Government Digital Wallet.

The Digital First Government ‘Life Events’ programme, in development by my department, in collaboration with other Public Service Bodies, will be a major step in streamlining and simplifying citizens’ interactions with public services during various life events, such as having a baby, or driving, making them more accessible and efficient.

Instead of visiting multiple government offices or dealing with different websites and forms, citizens will be able to find the necessary services in one place.

Such a joined up digital approach will enable features like single sign-in, having one known and trusted verification, digital credentials and the requirement for citizens to only have to provide certain standard information once. In today's digital age, the portal will reflect the government's commitment to transform to digitally enabled services.

Under the leadership of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, a Government Digital Wallet is being developed to make key credentials available through a government app. In collaboration with partners across the Public Service, this will be further tested and rolled out this year and I look forward to providing further updates on the launch and roll out.

The work aligns with Connecting Government 2030: A Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland’s Public Service and the Civil Service Renewal strategy, in particular the target for 2030 is set to ensure that 90% of applicable services are consumed online. It is also in line with work underway across Europe to implement a European Digital Identity Wallet.

As part of this journey, it is essential to place the end-user at the centre of these initiatives.

To this end, as part of our shared commitment to evidence-informed policies and services designed for and with our public, my department is leading on the integration of a service design approach to the provision of public services in Ireland.

The digital transformation agenda can only succeed by firmly placing the end-user at the centre of this journey. That means an approach to service delivery that puts people first, forces us to challenge our assumptions, is inclusive, and allows us to co-create.

Taking a service design-led approach will help us to innovate, improve, and constantly reimagine how we serve the public. It offers a pathway to a more dynamic, responsive, and people-centric future for Ireland and ensures our solutions are not just technologically sound but also offer value for money, are socially responsible and contribute to a better society.

My department is leading on work to embed design and other innovative methods to support policy and service development working closely with colleagues across government departments and the wider public service to ensure we use the best available approaches, evidence, research and data to support transformation.

In November 2023, my department published the Action Plan for Designing Better Public Services. This Plan has been developed to be straightforward and practical and it outlines a future direction around three themes to:

(1) Demonstrate Design Commitment

(2) Increase Design Capability, and

(3) Foster Design Culture

I know there will be further discussion later today on Rethinking Policy and Reshaping Delivery: Designing Better Public Services. Just this week, DPENDR hosted a Knowledge Sharing Symposia for Improved Policymaking and Outcomes with a Disability Focus.

The occasion was an opportunity to directly listen to those with disabilities to better understand their perspectives and lived experiences, and crucially served as an opportunity to help guide our policymaking. Assistant Secretary Jasmina Behan from my department will be making a further contribution on our work in this regard.

Transformation at scale can only happen, of course, with the right technology, skills and data available and working together.

When it comes to Artificial Intelligence and emerging technology, AI provides us with new opportunities to reconsider, design and deliver better public services.

Our goal is to harness AI for the common good, and embedding AI and AI readiness into the design of our policies and services is key to achieving this.

Earlier this year, my department published a set of Interim Guidelines for use of AI in the Public Service. The guidelines lay out the government’s commitment to the ethical use of AI, key considerations and safeguards, and resources available to support public service bodies. Further guidance for public service bodies is being developed in the context of the implementation of the EU AI Act.

As we are all aware this is a rapidly developing space which brings huge potential and also significant challenge. My department is working closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which leads on national AI strategy, and in addition, Government has established an AI Advisory Council, which is a resource for policymakers who need expert assistance to support them in thinking critically about context and potential or unexpected negative and positive impacts of proposed AI adoption.

Public Service Bodies have already begun to use and integrate AI in the development and delivery of their services, in areas such as taxation, social protection, health, and justice.

The prevalence of AI across a variety of sectors provides an inflection point that allows the public service to take stock, review and reimagine the workforce of the future; one in which technology can become a core delivery partner in transforming and providing better public services for the people of Ireland. Our ability to use AI to its full potential, also relies on the availability and quality of our data.

I launched a new Open Data Strategy in November last to facilitate the ongoing publication and use of government data to support evidence-based policy, service design and decision making, and support compliance with the EU Open Data Directive. This is based on the principle that non-personal, non-sensitive government data should be open, and I know Public Service Bodies are making big strides in this regard.

Better Public Services emphasises the importance of our National Data Infrastructure, including maximising use of the Eircode, Unique Business Identifier (UBI), PPSN and MyGovID, and sharing data safely across Public Service Bodies. Working with key partners such as the Central Statistics Office, we are taking steps to strengthen the National Data Infrastructure.

We want to continue to realise the potential for using AI across the breadth of Public Service Bodies and are providing targeted supports and interventions for Public Servants, such as AI upskilling programmes, and providing funding through the Public Service Innovation Fund for AI related projects. This is just one example of preparing and equipping the public service workforce for the future, which is essential to achieve transformation.

The rollout of the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan is a key initiative with DFHERIS, with the ambition of reaching 750 apprentice registrations per year by 2025. I know Helen Brophy, Head of IPA, will be speaking to you later about a further flagship initiative under Better Public Services, which is the transformation of the Institute of Public Administration, including the integration of One Learning into the IPA and the rollout of training across the Public Service.

We are investing a huge amount to drive better Public Services, infrastructure and living standards for the people of Ireland. Budget 2024 is delivering an investment of 96.6 billion euro to protect living standards and safeguard our shared future. Equally the delivery of better Public Services relies on the efforts of the Public Service workforce - almost 375,000 employees across our public services, working across health, education, local government, justice and all of our services.

Our Better Public Services strategy is aimed at delivering for the government and the public, and crucially building trust in our public sector. Trust is, of course, a critical aspect of good governance – both in terms of trust in public institutions and indeed trust in the government to deliver for the people in terms of effective policies and services that meet their needs.

Ireland is taking a leadership role in supporting the work of the OECD in measuring trust in public institutions across 30 countries through our participation in the Public Governance Committee. I look forward to the publication of the results of the OECD’s trust survey in the coming weeks, which is an important metric for this country and internationally.

I would like to commend the work of Civil and Public Servants who every day strive to do the best job they can to serve all of the people who rely on their services every day. That commitment and public service ethos is key to enabling better Public Services and our workforce who operate in every sector of the Public Service is one of our greatest assets.

Finally, I hope you that you all have a very enjoyable and engaging Conference today and that you leave here with some enhanced motivation and important insights on public service transformation.