Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 442: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress made on the concept of a single public service card to streamline access to different entitlements and services; and when it is expected to introduce this system. [27849/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has developed, in conjunction with a number of other government departments, the specifications for a Public Service Card (PSC) under the SAFE (Standard Authentication Framework Environment) programme. The specification provides for identification features, including a photograph. The PSC is to act as a key for access to public services in general, identifying and helping to authenticate individuals. The necessary legislative provisions were included in the 2007 Social Welfare and Pensions Act.

The project has three other streams of work; design of the organisational changes to support enhanced registration processes, development of new internal technical systems to support registration and issue of the PSC, and the procurement of a managed service provider for the production, supply and support of the PSC.

The organisational change design is complete. The specification for development of supporting ICT systems is complete and ready to issue. The Department issued a Request For Tender for the managed service to physically issue and support the PSC in early 2008. Responses were received, evaluated and a preferred bidder selected in June 2008.Contract negotiations with the preferred bidder are ready to be finalised but it is not possible at this point to give a definite date for implementation.