Cabinet looks forward to matching table

The table around which governments have sat for the past four decades making decisions affecting the lives of the citizenry has…

The table around which governments have sat for the past four decades making decisions affecting the lives of the citizenry has been removed and replaced by a new, purpose-built model.

A new cabinet table has been designed and built to allow for "touchscreen government", with built-in computer terminals to be fitted into the table in front of each Cabinet minister.

The €42,000 table has been moved into the cabinet room and is currently covered in green baize while awaiting the fitting of computer terminals.

From the first quarter of next year, "e-cabinet will go live", according to a spokeswoman at the Department of An Taoiseach.

Draft bills and memos to Government are to become available to ministers at the touch of a screen, saving cabinet meetings from huge piles of paper.

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Colm Keena

Colm Keena

Colm Keena is an Irish Times journalist. He was previously legal-affairs correspondent and public-affairs correspondent