I propose to take Questions Nos. 526 to 529, inclusive, together.
In total, my Department has issued just over 4 million Public Services Cards (PSC), of which there are currently 3.2 million active PSC users. The information the Deputy has requested relating to the number of PSCs that issued during various periods are set out in the tables below:
PSCs issued up to end-Oct 2017
|
PSCs issued Nov 2017 to date
|
PSCs issued to date
|
2,920,910
|
1,081,136
|
4,002,046
|
PSCs issued up to end-Jul 2018
|
PSCs issued Aug 2018 to date
|
PSCs issued to date
|
3,423,984
|
578,062
|
4,002,046
|
To date, the costs for the development, testing, personalisation, production and distribution cost of the PSC from 2010 to date is €31.7m, excluding VAT. The identity authentication and registration functions involved in the PSC process have been incorporated into the day-to-day work of the Department and I am advised that the staffing costs associated with the PSC are not readily available.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.