This chapter examines individual’s 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 NDLS, etc. The data was collected in the first two quarters of 2024.
Respondents were asked about the type of e-Government service that they accessed online in the twelve months previous prior to completing the survey.
Key findings of internet users who used the internet in the previous 12 months:
Some 43% of 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.
Almost six in ten (57%) 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.
Four in ten (40%) 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.
More than four in ten (44%) had completed, edited, reviewed, or approved their tax declaration online such as through Revenue’s MyAccount/ROS online service, with their employer, their tax adviser, etc. See Figure 6.1 and Tables 6.1 & 6.2.
Key findings of internet users who used the internet in the previous 12 months:
One in five (20%) requested official documents or certificates such as graduation, birth, marriage, divorce, death, residence certificates, police, or criminal records, etc. This was an increase of four percentage points on the same period in 2023.
Almost one quarter (24%) of internet users went online in 2024 to find information such as on benefits, entitlements, services, laws, etc. Females (25%) were marginally more likely than men (24%) to request benefits or entitlements such as on pensions, unemployment, child allowance, enrolment in schools, universities, etc.
The vast majority (87%) of persons 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 twelve (8%) cited that another person such as financial advisor, family friend, or relative did it on their behalf. Some 4% 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 about credit card fraud etc. See Figure 6.2 and Tables 6.3 & 6.4.
Respondents who had used online services provided by public authorities or services, were asked about any issues or problems that they encountered when using the online service (website or app).
Key findings of internet users who used the internet in the previous 12 months:
Almost three in ten (29%) felt that the website or app was too difficult to use such as was not user-friendly, the language was not clear, procedure was not well explained, etc.
One in five (20%) experienced technical problems when using the website or app, including website/app was long loading, website/app crashed, etc. See Figure 6.3 and Table 6.5.
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