Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2023
588. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the budget allocated for Tusla under the NDP for ICT infrastructure; the budget allocated for Tusla by his Department for ICT infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25626/23]
View answerTusla’s capital expenditure is divided between Estates and ICT programmes. Tusla is a maturing organisation with considerable development needs and has developed Estates and ICT strategies
Strategic capital investment in Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, will help Tusla to continue to develop as an independent body. Investments in ICT infrastructure will support effective service delivery through an expanding workforce and by providing more effective systems for case management and performance reporting.
Capital Allocation to Tusla 2017-2022
|
Year |
Amount (€ million) |
|
2017 |
13.56 |
|
2018 |
13.94 |
|
2019 |
13.19 |
|
2020 |
16.89 |
|
2021 |
17.19 |
|
2022 |
17.50 |
|
2023 |
17.50 |
Tusla's ICT unit was established in 2017. Investment has increased from 2017 onwards as Tusla progressed its ICT and Data Management Strategies. Similar levels of Capital are being provided in 2023.
Currently, the split is approximately €9.5m on Estates programmes, with €8m on ICT. The ICT programme requires steady state investment to support the ICT needs of the organisation, with over 5,000 users. This includes the need to provide for existing commitments under Tusla's Data Management Strategy including data warehousing, case management development and improved performance reporting.
Examples of recent and ongoing projects include:
• In July 2021, Tusla expedited and extended the ambition of the planned migration from the HSE ICT network. Between July 2021 and November 2022 Tusla successfully delivered an €8 million programme to build its own ICT Infrastructure (known as TuslaIRL) and to migrate all offices, staff, devices and data to the new network. Tusla now has a modern ICT network connecting over 250 Tusla offices and 6,000 users.
• The Tusla ICT Directorate established an Information Security (InfoSec) programme in 2019 to ensure that the development of Tusla’s new ICT network and planned migration from the HSE would be underpinned by a parallel programme focused on cyber and related security enhancements.
• Tusla is currently progressing a €13 million investment in cyber security infrastructure over a five year plan 2022-2026. The project has now delivered an enhanced security infrastructure with further initiatives planned for 2023.
As the Deputy can appreciate, many of Tusla's teams need to be visit children in various locations and Tusla are providing for an upgrade of the Tusla fleet of vehicles to less environmentally-damaging electric vehicles and this is also covered by the Capital allocations.
My Department will continue to support Tusla's investment in its infrastructure needs be they in the ICT space or for example for buildings that put a roof over the heads of some of Ireland's most vulnerable children. Tusla have shown over recent years that capital allocations are well-managed, very much needed and that as an organisation Tusla can deliver extra capacity when afforded the opportunity to do so.
