CSO wins best IT project in public sector awards


19 Apr 2007

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) last night picked up the award for Best Project in the Government-to-Government category at the Eircom-sponsored Innovation Through Technology Awards for a hosted statistical database used by public sector workers.

The CSO’s Public Sector Statistical Network (PSSN) was developed by the CSO Database Dissemination Unit (DDU), the online network that provides hosting services for statistical databases across public sector organisations. The network can be accessed via a single web page.

The Best Project in the Government-to-Citizen category of the awards went to the Courts Service for its Small Claims Online service. The online system is able to handle, administer and track consumer claims through the court from the initial application to the actual payment of the court fee.

The Best Project in the Government-to-Business category went to the Property Registration Authority (PRA) for its Digital Mapping Project. The PRA hosts Ireland’s first national database of land-related information online. The service includes geographical and spatially-based searches.

The Best Project within an Organisation Award went to Mayo County Council for a series of intranets that enable line managers to effectively manage budgets, diary appointments and staff working hours.

Carlow County Council and e-Net won the Best Partnership Project Award for the deployment of a Metropolitan Wi-Fi broadband network in Carlow town centre.

South Dublin County Council picked up the gong for Innovative Organisation of the Year for its ‘Connect’ umbrella project aimed at boosting opportunities for the citizenry of South Dublin.

Deirdre Sharrock, Meath County Council’s webmaster, won an award for the redesign of the county council’s website, a new intranet and extranet and the rollout of a new content management system.

Tim Willoughby, director of the Local Government Computer Services Board (LGCSB), was given a special award for his dedication to innovation and groundbreaking efforts to bring innovative technology thinking from an idea through to a practical working reality.

By John Kennedy