Dodds hails new website as the future of Government services

Government services and information are being made more accessible to the people of Northern Ireland.

That was the message from Finance Minister Nigel Dodds at today’s official launch of a new government website – nidirect .

Speaking at the event at Clare House, Belfast, Mr Dodds praised www.nidirect.gov.uk for its style and ease of use and how it represents an important change in how government is interacting with the citizen.

He said: “nidirect and the wider NI Direct programme is a major part of our plan to reform government services.

“We aim to make it as easy as possible for the people of Northern Ireland to access and use their government information and services. This is a key objective in the Programme for Government and my department has shown its leadership by providing this new website within its target.

“Instead of surfing a range of government websites for information the public can now visit nidirect . In the past week it has really shown its value - information on swine flu which previously would have been on a range of different government sites can now be found in one location.

“The new website features lots of useful information from government departments and agencies, written in language that is easy to understand. There are also online transactions for people to do business with government at a time that suits them. Citizens don't need to know, nor should they have to know, the workings of government to find the information they need.”

There are 16 themes within nidirect , under headings such as, Motoring, Property and housing, Employment and Money, tax and benefits. Transactions include booking your MOT, ordering birth, death and marriage certificates, buying or renewing your TV licence or finding local schools and nurseries. The site also contains useful public information video and audio downloads.

The Minister also highlighted how NI Direct online is being used as an important channel for providing up to date local information about the ongoing swine flu issue.

Mr Dodds also praised the wider NI Direct programme, which includes the new flooding incident line - 0300 2000 100. He added that devolution is working and that his department will continue to play its role in providing better and more efficient government.

He said: “nidirect clearly demonstrates our commitment to work hard for the citizen, to make interacting with government as easy as possible and to deliver better public services for everyone in Northern Ireland.”

Donna Magee, Interim Chief Executive of the Consumer Council said: "The launch of NI Direct is good news for consumers who now have a single point of contact for accessing public services. This is what they have been crying out for. The Consumer Council is proud to have worked in partnership with the Department of Finance and Personnel on this important project by representing the consumer voice and ensuring it was taken into account throughout the development of NI Direct."

Notes to Editors:

1. The new public facing website is based on the GB model – Directgov. It was been completed within the Public Service Agreement (PSA) under the Programme for Government. The new site: nidirect went live on 31 March 2009.

2. The nidirect website is arranged by 16 themes, as follows:

Motoring
Property and housing
Employment
Travel and transport
Environment and greener living
Crime, justice and the law
Money, tax and benefits
Home and community
Education and learning
Health and Well Being
Government, citizens and rights
Young people
Caring for someone
People with disabilities
Over 50s
Parents

3. There was a clear endorsement of the NI Direct name on both a cross-community and on a geographical basis - detailed qualitative and quantitative research was carried out across Northern Ireland. This included a survey of 1,000 people and a number of dedicated focus group activities. The research considered six possible names including NIDirect.

4. The NI Direct programme has also launched a new flooding incident line for Northern Ireland - 0300 2000 100. The new line offers an easy solution to anyone who needs to report a flood. The line was in place since the end of December 2008 and was publicised through the media in January because of severe weather warnings – this replaced the planned formal launch.

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