The department of public expenditure and reform and the department of finance are running a blockchain hackathon this week. BlockAthon Ireland takes place January 25-27 at the Innovation Academy in Du
The department of public expenditure and reform and the department of finance are running a blockchain hackathon this week. BlockAthon Ireland takes place January 25-27 at the Innovation Academy in Dublin, where teams will tackle five specific public service challenges.
Paschal Donohoe, the minister for finance and public expenditure and reform, described the initiative as part of a broader modernization push. "Blockchain technologies have proposed new economic, business, social and technological models that have the potential to significantly impact business and society," he said. "As part of Our Public Service 2020, our government has pledged to drive innovation in policy design and service delivery, as well as promote a culture of innovation across our public service. We believe this can partially be achieved through the use of novel and alternative mechanisms, new platforms and unusual channels."
Our Public Service 2020 aims to accelerate digital delivery of government services and drive innovation in policy design.
Teams will address five cases:
- Tracking medical devices through Ireland's health system (HSE)
- Creating a mechanism for tracking state aid
- Verifying central statistics office data with encryption and privacy controls
- Building transparency into transport infrastructure spending
- Streamlining how the Programme for Government office collects commitments from 17 government departments
Over two days, teams will develop blockchain-based solutions. The winning team receives a prize and submits its solution to officials for evaluation and potential deployment.
Expert judges and mentors from EY Ireland, Ambrosus, and the University of Dublin will guide teams and oversee the competition. "Consulting and engaging experts on innovation from across the public sector, academia and the private sector to share ideas is a valuable action under the strategy, and this hackathon offers an opportunity to do so," Donohoe said.
Ireland's department of finance has been exploring blockchain policy since March 2018, when it created an internal working group on blockchain and digital currencies. The group aims to provide guidance to businesses, consumers, and investors on the technology, and to position Ireland as a hub for blockchain development.
