Written answers

Tuesday, 21 March 2006

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Departmental Programmes

8:00 pm

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 460: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to introduce an on-line ready-reckoner in order that people would know their entitlements at the press of a button by keying in their PPS numbers plus a security code key such as their mother's maiden name or date of birth for example; if such a proposal has been examined by his Department; if so, if it has been costed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10493/06]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department has an ongoing programme to develop information and communications technology, ICT, systems to support delivery of a first class service to customers. The current development programme is an early step towards achieving, inter alia, a comprehensive system which would provide full advice to customers on all entitlements.

It will take some years, however, for the Department to be in a position to provide a service as outlined by the Deputy. A range of supporting elements would have to be developed before the type of systems described could be designed.

My Department has been engaged, since mid-2000, in the development and implementation of its service delivery modernisation, SDM, programme. SDM is a multi-annual programme of work involving the introduction of new technology and the replacement of legacy computer systems.

It comprises business, organisation and technical streams and is designed to be implemented in self-contained and separately procured phases. The work involved includes the redesign of back office systems, business processes, procedures and work practices and the introduction of new organisational structures. The ICT systems put in place for this programme will provide a comprehensive and consistent approach to the treatment of the various scheme rules which exist. This would be a prerequisite for the kind of system envisaged.

A second consideration regarding the provision of an interactive service to customers is the issue of security. If a system existed which was able to determine all entitlements for an individual, it would also need to ensure that only properly authorised individuals could access personal data. This is particularly important in the context of all such data being accessible through a single mechanism and is required by law, such as, the Data Protection Act, and, more importantly, is also dictated by customer service considerations.

My Department is involved with the cross-departmental standard authentication framework environment, SAFE, programme which is addressing issues such as identity and security of access to public service systems. An early output from this programme will be the issue of a public service card commencing in 2007.

Implementation of the SAFE programme will allow for secure registration and subsequent authentication of the people involved and is considered to be a prerequisite for on-line access to personal data. The Reach agency was set up to provide a public service broker, PSB, for use by all public service agencies and their customers, rather than providing dedicated access mechanisms for each agency.

The first phase of development, which is now complete, uses services based on the individual's public services identity, PSI, to provide a level of registration or authentication facilities for customers. The PSB provides facilities for its users to interact with public service agencies through a consistent mechanism and will also provide common services such as data validation, payment services and documents of record.

My Department is developing the technical infrastructure required to interact with the PSB. The SDM programme will provide the basis for the business services to be made available. Further work will be required to develop these in a manner that meets emerging industry and cross-agency standards.

In summary, there is no dedicated interactive system in development to provide full and comprehensive advice to individuals although each of the components of such a system is undergoing major development. It will be some years before all are sufficiently complete to contribute to an overall solution, should it be decided to go in that direction. In any such system, great care and expertise would be needed to ensure that the benefit to an individual would outweigh the significant overhead which would be involved.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.