Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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88. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to further expand the role of the National Shared Services Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10934/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The role and functions of the National Shared Services Office are set out in the National Shared Services Office Act 2017. Section 9(2) of the Act prescribes that the NSSO is responsible for providing shared services in the civil service, setting standards and developing operational policies in relation to the provision of those shared services and providing guidance and advice on shared services across the public service.

The NSSO is currently delivering HR and pensions administration shared services to 35,200 civil servants and payroll shared services to 124,600 public servants. The NSSO will begin the provision of finance shared services during 2018 and by 2020 will be delivering finance shared services to 48 public service bodies.   There are shared services projects currently underway in the sectors of Health, Education and Local Government, as well as in the civil service.

In order to balance scale and risk and establish a co-ordinated approach to shared service policy implementation, the governance for design and implementation of shared services in each sector resides with the sector, not with the NSSO. A cost-benefit analysis is typically required before any investment in shared services is made.

I am not aware of any current plans to further expand the role of the National Shared Services Office, in 2018, beyond what is currently provided for.