Ó An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí, Seachadta ar an bPlean Forbartha Náisiúnta, agus Athchóirithe
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Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe has welcomed the publication of the Survey on the Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions 2023 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), along with the publication of the Irish survey findings . The Irish survey was carried out on behalf of Ireland by the Central Statistics Office and was commissioned by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR).
The survey provides an international picture of what drives trust in public institutions in 2023 by capturing insights on expectations and experiences of reliability, responsiveness, integrity, fairness, and openness of government and public administration. Findings include that 74% of respondents believe that their application for a Government benefit or service would be treated fairly, which is notably higher than the overall OECD average of 52%.
Remarking on the survey results, Minister Donohoe said:
“Trust is vital to ensure support for government policies and for the work of civic institutions. I am very pleased that these results show that Ireland continues to compare well with other countries, particularly in the area of trust in public institutions.
“Nonetheless, public trust is complex and this survey will help us to better understand where confidence remains strong, where it might be improved and what could be done to further reinforce trust in government.”
Some of the findings from the Irish survey include:
• there are high levels of confidence in Irish public institutions, with 70% for An Garda Síochána and 69% for the courts and legal system.
• a 66% trust score in Civil Servants compares well with the OECD average of 45%.
• 47% of Irish respondents reported high or moderately high trust in Government, comparing positively with the 39% OECD average.
• 69% of respondents believe that the personal data they share with a public agency is exclusively used for legitimate purposes, which is significantly above the OECD average figure of 52%.
Ireland has played a leading role in the survey initiative at OECD level as DPENDR chairs the Trust Advisory Group under the OECD’s Public Governance Committee, which gives strategic direction on the survey. Building public trust is at the centre of Better Public Services , the transformation strategy for the Public Service. A clear driver of trust indicated in the OECD survey results is the use of evidence to inform policies and decision making, which is a core pillar in the Better Public Services strategy.
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Notes to Editor
The Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions survey is a key part of the OECD’s Reinforcing Democracy Initiative. It provides evidence-based analysis to help countries reinforce democratic values and institutions. Ireland is one of 30 countries that participated in the 2023 survey, following participation in the first iteration of the survey in 2021.
The overall OECD 2023 Trust Survey across 30 OECD countries has found that trust in Governments’ ability to provide key public services remains relatively high, with results in areas such as preparedness for future crises, the provision of administrative services, and the handling of personal data remaining robust. However, satisfaction with the healthcare system has decreased and people still feel they have little voice in government decision making.
Overall, trust in national government has fallen slightly since 2021 across the 30 OECD countries that participated in the survey. A significant finding of the 2023 Trust Survey is the decrease of trust in government by women compared to men, in particular amongst young people, with the gap growing fourfold on average since 2021. The trust gap between lower and higher educated people has also widened across OECD countries.
The survey explores for the first time how the information environment relates to people’s trust in public institutions. It finds that media consumption and perceptions of public communication impact trust in government and that there are strong trust dividends to be gained from better public communication of the data and evidence supporting reforms. Notably, the survey results illustrate that public communication is complicated in the context of rising mis- and dis-information.
There were almost 60,000 survey responses to the overall OECD survey across 30 countries. The sample size in Ireland was 5,000 with a 40% response rate.
Summary of Ireland’s 2023 Trust Survey Results
• 47% of respondents reported high or moderately high trust in the National Government. This compares well with the 39% OECD average across the 30 countries that participated in the survey.
• Survey outcomes demonstrate high levels of confidence in our public institutions with 70% for An Garda and 69% for the Courts and Legal System, while a 66% trust score in Civil Servants compares well with the OECD average of 45%.
• 69% of respondents believe that the personal data they share with a public agency is exclusively used for legitimate purposes. This is significantly above the OECD average figure of 52%.
• 74% of respondents believe that their application for a Government benefit or service would be treated fairly. This is notably higher than the overall OECD average of 52%.
• 68% of respondents with recent experience of the education system were satisfied with it. This compares positively to the 60% average across the OECD.
• 60% of respondents believe that Government institutions will be prepared to protect people’s lives in an emergency, which exceeds the average OECD figure of 53% across the 30 countries.
• 51% of respondents were satisfied with administrative services, compared to the OECD average of 66%.
• 36% of respondents believe that the political system allows people to have a say in what the Government does, compared to the OECD average of 30%.
• A 27 percentage point age trust gap between respondents in the 18-29 and 50+ age categories with the older age cohort reporting a higher level of trust. This is significantly higher than the OECD average of a 7 percentage point age trust gap.
• An 11 percentage point gender trust gap amongst men and women with regards to trust in the national Government, with men reporting a higher level of trust. This is higher than the OECD average of a 7 percentage point gender trust gap.
Examples of initiatives that have been taken or are underway to build trust include:
Better Public Services, the Public Service Transformation 2030 Strategy:
• The strategy is framed around three core themes; digital and innovation at scale, workforce and organisation of the future, and evidence-informed policy and services designed for and with our public. In delivering the strategy Public Service bodies are guided by the OECD drivers of trust i.e. responsiveness, reliability, integrity, openness, and fairness to ensure they serve the public with transparency and integrity.
Ireland has committed to the fight against mis- and disinformation through the establishment of:
• The Media Commission, Coimisiuin na Meán, for regulating broadcasters and online media, and supporting media development; the Electoral Commission, with responsibility for the oversight of all elections, including electoral operations, constituency reviews and electoral integrity and the National Cyber Security Centre. Ireland is also developing a National Counter Disinformation Strategy, which aims to coordinate national efforts to combat disinformation and provide a joined-up approach to tackle the harmful effects of disinformation.
Ireland continues to strengthen and improve citizen participation and engagement through:
• Citizen Assemblies; Public Participation Networks; Older People’s Councils and the National Civic Forum for Dialogue with the Community and Voluntary sector.
Ireland has committed to increasing the confidence and trust of young people in the national government through:
• The establishment of youth assemblies to inform Government policy on areas such as climate, digitisation, rural development, and other issues of importance to young people and collaborating with the OECD in the development of the OECD Youth Policy Toolkit. Young Ireland, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028 was launched in 2023.
Ireland has reinvigorated its commitment to the international Open Government Partnership through:
• The publication of Ireland’s Fourth Open Government National Action Plan 2023-2025 in February 2024. The plan includes seven commitments across five government departments to strengthen accountability, transparency and participation. The plan was created with contributions from civil society through a multi-stakeholder forum, and also included a public consultation.
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