Transform Gov - the digital government podcast

Digital services only work if everyone can use them.
In this episode of Transform Gov, Maeve Kneafsey speaks with Donal Fitzpatrick and Shivaali Scully from the National Disability Authority about accessibility, universal design and the fast-emerging role of AI in public services.
They explore if AI can remove barriers for people with disabilities, where serious risks around bias and privacy remain, and why involving users early in design is the single most important factor in getting digital services right.

The conversation ranges from real-world examples of AI supporting accessibility, to the impact of the European Accessibility Act, and why Ireland is emerging as a global leader in universal design.
This is a must-listen for anyone designing, commissioning or delivering digital services in the public or private sector.

Timeline / Topics
00:00 – Why accessibility is central to digital government
03:00 – AI and accessibility: opportunity versus risk
06:30 – Why user voices must shape design from day one
09:30 – Privacy, bias and the limits of AI
17:00 – European Accessibility Act explained
23:00 – Ireland’s leadership in universal design
34:00 – The Universal Design Grand Challenge and future talent

Accessibility, Universal Design, AI in Government, Digital Public Services, Inclusion, European Accessibility Act, Public Sector Innovation, Transform Gov
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a frank conversation about pace, legislation, risk culture, and delivery at scale — and why digital reform will stall unless governments change how decisions are made, not just what they build.

Part 2 of Transform Gov, Dr Tony Shannon, Head of Digital Services at Ireland’s Office of the Government CIO. This interview goes beyond strategy and confronts the real constraints holding back public-sector transformation.
Tony explains why:
the machinery of government is not yet fit for the digital age
legislation itself must become “digital-ready”
life-event based services require cross-government ownership
Ireland has a unique opportunity to lead between EU regulation and US innovation
This episode will resonate with anyone responsible for delivery, governance, funding, architecture, or reform in the public sector.
Part 2 of 2
Presented by Maeve Kneafsey
Transform Gov – part of the Ireland eGovernment Awards, in partnership with Accenture

Key moments
01:45 – Why 2030 is the end of the digital decade, not the start
04:30 – Life events, building blocks and shared ownership
07:00 – Digital public infrastructure explained
11:25 – Ireland’s position between EU regulation and US innovation
17:00 – Why the machinery of government is not yet fit for the digital age
18:30 – The case for digital-ready legislation

Key subjects: public sector digital transformation, government CIO, digital government Ireland, life events strategy, digital public infrastructure, govtech, public service reform, digital legislation, OGCIO, Transform Gov podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Tony Shannon, Head of Digital Services in Ireland’s Office of the Government CIO, shares his remarkable journey from emergency medicine to the front line of digital government.
He shares why healthcare’s chaos taught him how to fix complex systems, how the NHS’s multi-billion-pound IT failure shaped his thinking, and why now—in his words—“is a moment that matters and a decade that matters.”
Expect insight, urgency and practical lessons for anyone who believes public services can, and must, work better for people and planet.
Part 1 of 2.
Listen for:
How a doctor’s pattern-recognition mindset applies to digital reform
What went wrong with the NHS national IT programme
The three-way equation of People + Process + Technology
Why the pandemic briefly showed how agile government can be
Why risk-aversion, if left unchallenged, will cost us all

Digital transformation, public sector innovation, Ireland eGovernment, Tony Shannon, OGCIO, Maeve Kneafsey, healthcare informatics, open source, agile delivery, leadership, government reform, risk culture, digital public services, data, AI in government, life-event strategy
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do great ideas in healthcare move from pilot projects to everyday practice?

In this episode of Transform Gov, Maeve Kneafsey talks with Louise (Lou) O’Hare, Assistant National Director at the Sláintecare Transformation and Innovation Office, about how the Sláintecare Integration Innovation Fund (SIF) is creating a clear pathway for innovation across Ireland’s health system.

Lou shares how the new Health Innovation Framework will ensure promising solutions — from clinician-led ideas to community telehealth — can move from proof of concept to full rollout, with proper governance, funding, and scaling support.

We hear the story behind the Healthy Islands Project, how AI and innovation hubs are shaping the future of care, and what’s next for collaboration between Spark, HSE innovators, and digital health leaders.

Sláintecare, HSE innovation, healthcare transformation Ireland, digital health, health technology, Spark Fund, SIF, health innovation framework, healthcare governance, telehealth, clinician innovation, HSE leadership, healthcare transformation podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Maeve Kneafsey talks with Paula Lyons, Ass. Secretary and Head of Service Development at the Department of Social Protection, about how her team is redesigning services around life events like having a child, retirement, or bereavement.
They discuss:
Why DSP’s philosophy is “digital by desire”, not by force
How citizen trust and data sharing are unlocking connected services
The next generation of online welfare and pension services
A must-listen for anyone shaping digital government and citizen-first transformation.

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01:05 – What motivates Paula to stay in public service
10:00 – How “Digital by Desire” became DSP’s guiding principle
24:05 – Designing services around real life events
29:30 – AI pilots and the future of digital service delivery
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.