MerrionStreet.ie Irish Government News Service, affords a view of government from the vantage point of Government Buildings itself. It brings together on one website, a view of government not previously available. We hope it is of value to a citizen, to a journalist or to any interested party in Ireland and around the world. MerrionStreet.ie reviews the wide range of government activity and then reports certain key events as news. All government press releases are accessible from our website – either by way of RSS feed or by way of links to all government departments. But our central task is to take a variety of events and report on them objectively, in the language of a news bulletin. We also feature ‘Issues’ where useful thematic information, not tied to a particular date, is presented. We use the latest audio-visual tools and Internet capabilities to hopefully bring these events to life. We have video, audio, photographs, text, links to other websites and much useful data which people can share. MerrionStreet.ie is produced by a team in Government Buildings, involving the Government Information Service, Government Press and IT. The objective is not to create a competition with traditional media in terms of deadlines, scope or scoop. Indeed we hope journalists find MerrionStreet.ie a useful reference point, and are free to report and use its elements. But it will allow people with an interest in the work of government to view latest developments on one website, which over time will become a valuable archive of information. Government Buildings is the centre of government. It is from here that An Taoiseach, the Head of Government, co-ordinates the work of the Government. The Cabinet meets on a weekly basis. It is where government decisions are made. The Taoiseach sets broad government policy. The perspective of MerrionStreet.ie starts with the work of the Taoiseach and reaches out to wider government, reporting what it regards as important government events and issues. MerrionStreet.ie does not engage in any party political comment. It will allow a citizen to hear or read again, the words of the Taoiseach or a Minister on an important subject. It will allow you to review many speeches in full, giving you a clearer picture of government intent.
