The Galway City Budget for 2024 was approved last Monday and includes funding for an online reporting system. Until now many routine requests could be submitted by phone or email, but a dedicated online system will make it easier to log a request, and easier to track it later on.
This is part of the national Connecting Government 2030 Strategy which aims to get 90% of government services on-line by the end of the decade. It follows on from work done in 2023 on implementing an upgrade to the Galway City Council website
Cllr Niall Murphy believes this is an important step in the right direction.
“As a software engineer myself, I see first hand how a well designed online system can make any organisation more efficient. Recently the voter registration system and the ability to submit planning applications online have been huge successes. Those improvements were driven nationally, but now Galway needs to do the same at a local level,” he said.
“Simple routine issues such as failed street lights and pothole repairs should be easy to request. It is also vital that it works on mobile phones as well as computers. It is also important that the customer gets a tracking number so that later enquiries are handled and duplicate requests are noted.
“When done properly, moving services online can make life a lot easier for those with hearing or mobility issues.
“An efficient request system may also reduce the need for the public to contact local councillors to follow up on requests. As a local councillor myself I am more than happy to be involved in these type of requests, and all councillors know that it is part of the process of getting re-elected. But it is time to move to a system that is more efficient and works for a growing population,” said Cllr Murphy.
“Technology improvements in the council will be an opportunity for the council to improve their social media presence. 2022 figures show other local authorities have over double the number of social media followers. The council twitter (@GalwayCityCo ) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GalwayCityCouncil ) accounts are already an excellent way of knowing about events and services in the city, but we need to raise awareness,” he concluded.
