My Department is currently pursuing arrangements for the provision of payroll services for its staff by another Department and as such is not proposing to become a service provider to agencies. While I have no direct function in relation to the day-to-day functioning of such agencies, the Croke Park agreement and the Employment Control Framework require non-commercial State agencies to achieve very substantial cost and staffing efficiencies. They are looking at the best way of achieving these including, where appropriate, shared services. In the case of the commercial State agencies, current economic market realities dictate that they must also seek the maximum cost and staffing efficiencies including, where appropriate, shared services.