Building a Data-Driven Public Service: Opportunities and Challenges for Evidence-Informed Policymaking in Ireland

Symposium: The Evolution of Data Needs for Policy/Research in Ireland

Authors

  • Sarah Glavey Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation
  • Marianne Cassidy Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation
  • Alan Plummer Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation

Abstract

The increasing complexity of modern policy challenges has intensified demands for evidence-informed decision-making across governments worldwide. Demographic change, technological transformation, economic uncertainty, climate pressures, and evolving citizen expectations require public institutions to become more agile, responsive, and data-driven. Ireland’s policy regarding the use of data to drive better policy and services has evolved in this context. Current policy focuses on driving more strategic and coherent use of data to support the vision laid out in Better Public Services 2030 of ‘inclusive, high quality and integrated Public Service provision that meets the needs and improves the lives of the people of Ireland’. The paper provides an assessment of Ireland’s public data ecosystem, which attracts favourable international rankings on digital government, open data and trust. It lays out some of the current strengths in the system and remaining challenges to be addressed. A case study is included which illustrate strong examples of data use. Finally, it outlines priorities for a new Public Service Data Strategy and reflects on broader implications for public service transformation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
👁 Abstract Views: 35📥 PDF Downloads: 21

Downloads

Published

09/28/2026

How to Cite

Glavey, S., Cassidy, M., & Plummer, A. (2026). Building a Data-Driven Public Service: Opportunities and Challenges for Evidence-Informed Policymaking in Ireland: Symposium: The Evolution of Data Needs for Policy/Research in Ireland. Journal of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland, 55, 118–129. Retrieved from https://jssisi.ie/index.php/jssisi/article/view/3860

Issue

Vol. 55 (2026): Journal of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).