Press release
Minister of State O’Donovan Welcomes Nomination of Open Data Platform for World Summit Award
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
Minister of State with special responsibility for eGovernment Patrick O’Donovan, TD, announced today (Tuesday, 23rd October 2018) that the National Open Data Portal data.gov.ie, has been nominated for Best National Digital Solution for Ireland for the International World Summit Awards (WSA).
The World Summit Awards are a global initiative to select digital innovation that is making a positive impact on society. With this nomination, data.gov.ie qualifies for evaluation among over 400 International projects by the WSA Jury. The WSA nominees show the richness, diversity and innovation of digital solutions on a global scale, and prove how digital technology can improve society in each corner of the world.
Commenting on the nomination, Minister of State O’Donovan said:
“I am delighted that the work of the Open Data team in the Reform Unit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is being recognised with a nomination for this prestigious award. Making data held by public bodies easily accessible is an essential part of the modernisation of the Public Service. A nomination to the WSA is already an award in itself and provides [external-link https://data.gov.ie/ | data.gov.ie ] with the qualification to compete and be presented on an international level".
"Each year, WSA nominees are selected by WSA National Experts, from more than 180 UN member states. The WSA National Experts nominate up to eight projects for each country – one for every WSA category. On this basis, I would like to heartily congratulate [external-link https://data.gov.ie/ | data.gov.ie ] for this international recognition and nomination”.
ENDS
Open Data
The concept of Open Data is about making data held by public bodies available and easily accessible online for reuse and redistribution. As public bodies have progressed in areas like eGovernment and data analytics, the potential of data and, in particular, open data to help deliver economic, social and democratic benefits has become clearer. The portal brings these datasets together in a single searchable website. Data.gov.ie is intended to provide easy access to datasets that are free to use, reuse, and redistribute.
World Summit Awards
The World Summit Awards are a global initiative within the framework of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). WSA is the only ICT event worldwide, that reaches the mobile community in over 180 countries. WSA highlights digital content improving society and focuses on local content with global relevance. For more information see www.worldsummitawards.org , Facebook and Twitter #WSA18.