Fingal Digital Strategy 2020-2023 Executive Summary
Fingal County Council have developed this digital strategy to encourage and support communities and businesses to reap the full rewards of a digitally enabled society.
Fingal’s Digital Strategy is a three-year plan that sets out what the Council wants to achieve and outlines strategic goals and objectives to make the most of digital opportunities for Fingal. It is a living document that will change overtime and adapt with an ever-changing digital society. The strategy sets out an overall vision for the County including a number of core objectives and outlines a clear path for implementation.
Fingal’s Digital Strategy is closely aligned to the Fingal County Council Corporate Plan core vision,
‘making Fingal the place of choice to live, work, visit and do business in Ireland’.
This strategy supports both national and EU digital programmes, the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan, and other local plans and strategies including; The Fingal Development Plan 2017–2023, Fingal Libraries Development Plan 2018–2023, Fingal Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) 2016–2020, Climate Change Action Plan 2019–2024, Smart Dublin Strategy, Fingal Skills Strategy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is a government initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all businesses and households in Ireland. Fingal County Council is committed to facilitating the rollout of the NBP and recognises the vital role broadband will play in Fingal’s urban and rural economic and social development. In line with the NBP deliverables Fingal County Council has developed this digital strategy to maximise the opportunities of digital transformation for the benefit of our society and economy, ensuring that Fingal is an even better place for people to live, work, visit and do business in.
The Fingal Digital Strategy is comprised of four pillars - Digital Infrastructure, Digital Community, Digital Business and Digital Government. The following are the strategic objectives under each of these pillars.
| Pillar | Digital Infrastructure |
| Vision | Develop a world-class digital infrastructure across Fingal, ensuring that both rural and urban Fingal are equipped with a fit-for-purpose digital infrastructure. |
| Objective | Description |
| 1 | Facilitate the development of high-speed broadband and digital infrastructure |
| 2 | Develop and enhance access to wireless connectivity |
| 3 | Develop smart city infrastructure to drive efficiencies and improve services |
| Pillar | Digital Community |
| Vision | Empower citizens and communities to participate in the development of their communities and to promote and support communities to access digital skills, digital services and unlock opportunities for all. |
| Objective | Description |
| 1 | Promote digital inclusion and improve digital equality and engagement among minority groups |
| 2 | Support Digital Education and Training to increase citizen digital skills and digital literacy |
| 3 | Raise awareness of the risks and benefits for citizens going online |
| 4 | Support the development of Smart Communities to enhance socio-economic development |
| Pillar | Digital Business |
| Vision | To make Fingal the best place to start and grow a business. |
| Objective | Description |
| 1 | Support SMEs to tap into the digital economy |
| 2 | Utilise digital technology to promote Tourism in Fingal |
| 3 | Facilitate the development of digital hubs and co-working arrangements for entrepreneurs |
| 4 | Support and encourage smart city development |
| Pillar | Digital Government |
| Vision | Transform key public services, focusing on driving efficiencies and accessibility for all, designing digital public services that are inclusive by default. |
| Objective | Description |
| 1 | Deliver excellent customer service |
| Increase the availability of user-friendly, accessible online services | |
| 3 | Promote a culture of continuous improvement, transparency, innovation and sustainability |
A number of actions have been identified under each of the above objectives which are set out in the Strategy