29. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the progress being made on implementing shared digital services across Government departments to improve efficiency and reduce duplication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40691/26]

Under my Department’s Public Service ICT Strategy ‘Connecting Government 2030: A Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland’s Public Service’ we have invested in shared digital infrastructure under our Build to Share and Government as a Platform programmes. With these programmes we have more rapidly and cost effectively scaled-up the development of digital services. Implement interoperable, scalable technology-based solutions and our approach is to in particular use Build to Share and digital/ ICT building blocks to deliver economies of scale and maximise return on investment as we achieve our digital ambitions.

The principle of once-only implies that Government will use digital technology to present and enable its services in a more theme-oriented proactive way. We have already made huge strides to achieve this with gov.ie, but we aim to develop the service even further. Consequently, a priority under this strategy as part of the Digital Public Services Plan 2030, my Department is delivering the key digital building blocks underpinning the Life Events Services, including the Government Digital Wallet, recognising that no one should need to know every government service or requirement relating to a life event such as registering a birth or death, starting a new business or returning to Ireland.

My Department continues to develop the Build to Share programme which offers public service bodies access to a range of digital, ICT and telecommunications services. Adoption of Build to Share services benefits all sizes of organisations through access to robust and resilient desktop services and infrastructures, in particular cyber defences, as well as a suite of government-specific common applications that will transform and simplify back office operations.

Investing in central shared digital public infrastructure, applications and services has led to streamlined processes thereby introducing efficiencies through consolidation, rationalisation, digitalisation, automation and new technologies. Having a single provider for such an extensive suite of services will free up valuable resources in departments and agencies enabling them in turn, to deliver innovative solutions tailored to their individual organisations and the needs of their particular customers.