Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 129: To ask the Taoiseach if the development of the e-Cabinet project is complete; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10094/06]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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With the completion of the first phase, e-Cabinet became operational in June 2004. Since then, it has hosted some 25,000 electronic transactions a year and has virtually eliminated manual dissemination of Cabinet papers. Further phases, adding functionality and improving user experience, have been deployed since then. Over 5,500 users are registered to the system.

The final planned phase of the e-Cabinet project was delivered to my Department at the end of 2005. Testing of that final phase to ensure operational stability and performance, which is technically complex, is nearing completion. The software is expected to be deployed and become fully operational during March-April. Deployment will be accompanied by familiarisation briefing for key users across all Departments. The software developers are working under the terms of a fixed price contract and final payment to them is contingent upon satisfactory testing and operation of the software in my Department.

The e-Cabinet system is one of the most complex and innovative ICT projects undertaken in the public sector to date and has won a number of prestigious awards. It has involved designing and building a system that incorporates all Departments, with different internal working practices and technical infrastructures and configurations. Although the impending deployment of the final phase of the e-Cabinet project marks the project's completion, as with any live system, it is our intention to continually seek to improve the benefits and efficiencies that the system brings.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 130: To ask the Taoiseach the progress to date in implementing the e-payments strategy; when same will be fully implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10098/06]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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In December 2004, the Government approved a memorandum dealing with increasing the use of e-payments by Departments and in the public sector. It was decided that by the end of 2005, where possible, all Departments and offices would use electronic funds transfer, EFT, to make payments. In the case of my Department, EFT has been implemented as a payment method and is used to make payment to all suppliers who have provided the necessary authorisation details. Continual efforts are being made to increase the number of payments by EFT with a view to eventually making all payments by this method.

Work is also progressing at a European level where the European Payments Council, an industry body, is leading an initiative aimed at creating a single European payment area, SEPA. This initiative has the objective of eliminating any effective distinction between a cross border payment and a domestic payment within the eurozone. The intention is that as early as 2008, European banks should be offering SEPA compliant products to their customers.

This initiative is supported by the European Commission and the European Central Bank. Ireland is participating with other member states in Council negotiations on a proposed directive setting out a legal framework for payment services in the EU. This directive will provide the necessary legislative backing for SEPA. However, neither SEPA nor the directive apply to cheques, which will remain a purely domestic payment instrument.