Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education provides a payroll service to over 133,000 school staff in primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools.

In 2023, the Department issued some 3.35 million pay slips to school staff and the postage cost was €2.99m.

Between April and May 2023, the Department offered an "opt in" service via the Digital Postbox from which time school staff could choose to receive their payslip electronically.There are currently 27,500 school staff who receive their payslip electronically and who no longer receive their payslip via physical post.

Since the introduction of the new digital payslip service in 2023 there has been a positive response to its adoption and the take up by school staff has been progressing steadily since the launch of the service.

With the continuing on boarding of new school staff, the expectation is that there will be a further increase in take up levels and that this will continue in future as new payees are on boarded.

It is therefore expected, that as more payees opt to receive digital payslip services, that the overall annual costs for posting payslips will decrease in future years.