Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 March 2013
251. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the use of, or implemented, integrated voice response systems in his Department's phone systems or in the phone systems of agencies within his remit; if the staff and salary cost savings which might arise have been assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14502/13]
View answerMy Department deals with a wide variety of requests/queries from the general public. It would not be feasible to categorise the areas into a small number of options for ease of use. To introduce auto attendant facility into our current PBX system would require the purchase of additional software. The current yearly cost to my Department for the provision of telephonists is €159,440. Because of the high volume of calls coming into my Department a dedicated member of staffwould be required in each area to filter and redirect the calls where necessary. The cost of additional staff would far exceed the current cost of telephonists. In relation to the Non Commercial State Agencies under my Department's remit, responsibility for the day to day administration of these bodies lies with their governing Boards. The Boards and management team are fully aware of the necessity to protect public funds and there are ongoing efforts to achieve savings and increase efficiencies through mechanisms such as the Public Service Agreement and through the use of new technology. The position regarding the Health Service Executive (HSE) is a matter for themselves. I have requested the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy in this regard.
