Digital Interactions with Public Services 2025

This chapter examines individuals’ contact with public authorities and public services over the internet, and their use of websites or apps provided by public authorities. The service providers can also be semi-state or private bodies, as long as the service offered was contracted by the State such as applying for the NCT, driver theory test, or driving licence/learner permit through National Driver Licence Service (NDLS), application for passport, etc. 

Respondents were asked about the type of e-Government service that they accessed online in the 12 months prior to completing the survey and about any contacts or interaction with public authorities or public services including obtaining information, exercising rights, or meeting obligations such as: 

• Fiscal matters such as tax declaration
• Pensions, social benefits (e.g. child benefit, unemployment benefit)
• Official documents, ID cards, and certificates (e.g. PPSN card, birth certificate, marriage certificate)
• Public educational services (e.g. public libraries, enrolments in childcare, schools, or universities)
• Public health services such as provided by public hospitals or interactions with a private or semi-private operator offering health services, in cases where such services were contracted to the private or semi-private operators by the State
• E-post services (e.g. delivery of official communications/documents over the internet)

Note: The data presented in this release relates to individuals aged 16 years and over who used the internet in the 12 months prior to completing the survey.

Half of internet users sought online information stored about them by public authorities

One in two (50%) internet users accessed information stored about them by public authorities or public services, for example checking of pension entitlements, health records (such as progress on application for medical appointment/surgery), penalty points, etc. with females (53%) more likely than males (48%) to access this type of information.

Almost six in ten (56%) internet users accessed publicly available information in electronic databases and registers maintained by public administrations authorities/services such as pay/tax paid, social welfare records, property/land registry registers, information about enterprises, etc.

Over half (51%) made an appointment or reservation via a website or app with public authorities or public services such as reserving a book in a public library, appointment with a Government official such as NDLS, passport service, or public health appointment with hospital, etc.

Almost two-thirds (63%) had completed, edited, reviewed, or approved their tax declaration online such as through Revenue’s online service (includes claiming tax refund for health expenses, etc.).

One in six internet users requested official documents online

One in six (17%) requested official documents or certificates such as graduation, birth, marriage, divorce, death, residence certificates, Garda vetting, etc.

More than one-quarter (27%) of internet users went online in 2025 to find information on benefits, entitlements, services, laws, etc. Males (28%) were marginally more likely than females (26%) to request benefits or entitlements such as pensions, unemployment, child allowance, enrolment in schools, universities, etc.

The vast majority (89%) of people who had not requested any official documents or made any claims via public authority or service website or app, said that they had no need to request any documents or to make any claims, while one in seventeen (6%) cited that another person such as financial advisor, family friend, or relative did it on their behalf. Just 1% said that they had concerns about the security of personal data such as name, address, financial information, or were unwilling to pay online due to concerns such as credit card fraud.