Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

193. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount provided under the capital plan for the information technology infrastructure across his Department; the amount spent to date; the progress to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18847/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The purpose of capital investment undertaken by my Department, including the National Shared Services Office (NSSO) and the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), is to deliver greater effectiveness and efficiency across the Civil and Public Service. The nature of many of the reform initiatives set out in ambitious plans such as the Public Service Reform Plan and the Public Service ICT Strategy is that up-front investment is sometimes required to deliver service improvements and greater consolidation and efficiency across the Civil and Public Service in the medium and long term. Therefore, this can involve my Department taking on additional costs, including capital costs, in the short-term.

The total capital allocation to my Department's Group of Votes, excluding OPW, under the Capital Plan 2016-21 was €32 million. In 2016, IT Capital Expenditure was €2.3 million on my Department's Vote, €9.4 million on the NSSO Vote and €1.2 million on the OGP Vote.

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) invests and develops IT infrastructure on behalf of my Department, the Department of Finance, the NSSO and the OGP. However, its broader role is to leverage ICT to gain efficiencies and to improve the effectiveness of service delivery across the Civil and Public Service. The OGCIO takes the lead on driving forward the implementation of the Public Service ICT Strategy, working with Departments and agencies across the Public Service. Good progress is being made in the five strategic themes of the strategy which are: Build to Share; Digital First; Data as an Enabler; Improve Governance; and Increase Capability. For instance, under the Build to Share pillar of the Strategy, the OGCIO continues to enhance the Government Network that has been in existence for many years. In 2017, as a result of this investment, the Network will operate at higher speeds, providing high capacity services to the wider Public Service. The enhanced network will support agencies in the roll-out of new applications, new ways of working and engaging with the citizen.

The NSSO continues to make significant progress in its task to generate efficiencies as well as to enhance the effectiveness of the public service support infrastructure. The NSSO investment in IT continues to develop the systems infrastructure so that the benefits of the Government's Shared Services programme can be realised. The key areas under the programme are the PeoplePoint Shared Service Centre (HR and Pensions Administration), Payroll Shared Service Centre and Financial Management Shared Services.

The OGP invests in its IT systems to deliver on its mandate to drive procurement savings to the State. The OGP is continuing to invest in the eTenders platform to support national and EU procurement requirements. In 2017, a Customer Relationship Management / Workflow Management System, is being implemented to support OGP's Customer Service function and sourcing activities of the OGP and its sector partners.