Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the progress made on the rollout of the introduction of the public services card. [10434/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department has developed, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, the specifications for a Public Services Card (PSC) under the Standard Authentication Framework Environment, or SAFE, programme. The specification provides for identification features, including a photograph. The aim is to develop a card that acts as a key for access to public services in general, identifying and authenticating individuals as appropriate and where required. Over the past few years significant progress had been made on the implementation of the project including the selection of a preferred bidder to provide a managed service for card production and related bureau services. Technical specifications were finalised and the necessary organisational change was designed.

However, in view of the uncertain economic climate, the project was suspended until formal sanction to proceed was received from the Department of Finance at the end of 2009. A contract was agreed with Biometric Card Services (BCS) as the managed service provider from early January 2010. The contract is for a complete managed service for the production, maintenance and distribution of the PSC. In summary this entails:

· Production of the card

· Personalisation of the card

· Delivery of the card

· Provision of help-desk functionality

All to be undertaken under strict and secure conditions.

Since the project was recommenced, significant work has been undertaken including decisions regarding the final design of the card and the physical construction of a secure card personalisation and distribution centre in Bray Co. Wicklow. A specimen PSC was personalised on this site on 8th December 2010.

It is also necessary to develop a technical infrastructure within the Department to support the client registration as well as the management and administration of the cards. Development of some of this infrastructure is being undertaken by internal resources and this work began last year. Procurement for the remainder was finalised early this year and development work is currently ongoing. While, it is anticipated that the full suite of this functionality will not be available until the Autumn of this year, the technical infrastructure to process client registration is expected to be ready by the end of July.

It is intended that initial registration will involve customers of the Department and will take a number of forms: face to face at DSP Local Offices, through utilising data already held by the Department in relation to the All Ireland Free Travel Scheme and through utilising relevant data already held by the State (e.g. photographs and signatures held by the Passport Office). Customers of the Department will be contacted to arrange for capture of the data required to produce and issue a PSC to them. The overall timeframe for completion of initial deployment of a Public Services Card is dependent on the rate at which it will be possible to securely register all of those to whom it will be issued. Initial registration will be carried out in the Department. Other options that may exist for external registration are being explored.

The Public Services Card will replace cards currently in use, such as the Social Services Card and the Free Travel card, with highly secure cards. Other Departments and agencies will also be in a position to use the card and the infrastructure that will support it.