The losingyourjob.ie website provided by the Irish Citizens Information Board (CIB) won a Taoiseach's Public Service Excellence Award in July 2010; the aim of the website is to help people who have lost their job or been put on reduced hours get clear and comprehensive information about their rights and entitlements.

The website takes a fully integrated, 'life-event' approach to the information surrounding job loss, including people's legal rights, their entitlements (such as claiming social welfare benefits, requesting a tax refund, getting help with rent or mortgage payments) and options (such as looking for a new job, starting a business, returning to education). In this way, the website connects its users to all the public services involved and provides a comprehensive, one-stop guide to the services available.

The losingyourjob.ie website was also a finalist at the European eGovernment Awards in 2009.

The Taoiseach's Awards are presented by the Taoiseach (the Irish head of government) every two years. They are designed to showcase and celebrate public service projects that make a particular difference to the way the citizen can obtain services. The Awards promote innovation and excellence and the creative use of resources.

The 2010 Awards were presented at a special showcase conference in Dublin Castle on 8 July. The 20 successful projects were selected by an independent committee, chaired by David Harvey, Chief Executive of City Channel.

Speaking at the award ceremony the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD, said: "Success requires leaders who champion change on their own initiative - individual public servants and teams of public servants - who see how their work can be redesigned in a more effective and efficient manner, and who drive that change. It will also require public servants, as managers and colleagues, who embrace and foster innovation and change."

Further information:

• Original news article - Citizens Information Board
• Losingyourjob.ie
• Taoiseach's Awards - OneGov.ie