Press release
Minister Howlin announces approval of the National Shared Services Office Bill 2016
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin TD, today (26 January 2016) announced that the government has approved the National Shared Services Office (NSSO) Bill 2016.
Minister Howlin stated:
“I welcome the approval of this Bill as shared services has been a key element of the government’s Public Service Reform Programme since 2011, and today is an important step in delivering the government’s vision for shared services in the public service.”
The National Shared Services Office Bill 2016 provides for the establishment of the NSSO as a separate Civil Service Office, under the aegis of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with its own Accounting Officer.
The NSSO delivers shared services within the civil service, currently through its two shared services centres: PeoplePoint and the Payroll Shared Services Centre.
It also oversees the implementation of government policy for shared services across the Irish public service. The education, health and local government sectors are also advancing shared service strategies, supported by the NSSO.
Shared services reduces the duplication of effort by consolidating transactional functions, such as finance, payroll and human resources, that enables quicker access to data and improved data quality through increased standardisation, specialisation, automation, and control.
Minister Howlin noted that:
“Independent research published in December confirmed the significant progress made in Ireland in delivering shared services in the public service in a short timeframe.
"The key finding of the report was that strong government and senior management support for shared services has ensured good progress, based on sound business cases, across a range of projects.
"I believe the government’s commitment to investing in shared services must be maintained in order to realise the full benefit of it and I look forward to the ongoing dividends that shared services will deliver.”
ENDS.