Concern as State spends millions to set up WFH staff

CONCERNS are growing over the hidden cost of working from home as the Department of Justice has spent millions on lap-tops for civil servants.

Independent TD Carol Nolan has expressed concern over the long-term cost implications of home working in the public sector.

Ms Nolan was responding to the revelations that in one Department alone, Justice, over €10 million has been spent in the initial phase on home laptops and other equipment for civil servants.

The information was disclosed by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, who was responding to queries from Ms Nolan revealed an initial spend of €9.47 million in the Department.

The biggest spenders were the Courts Service (€3.693 million), the Gardaí (€3.383 million) and the Department (€9.47 million).

Ms McEntee said the Department was working on ‘a Civil Service wide policy framework’ which will inform the development of organisation level blended working policies tailored to the specific requirements of each Department/ Office, whilst ensuring a consistency of approach across key policy areas.’

She said: ‘Key to all this is the duty of Departments to deliver a quality service to Government, the Oireachtas and the public with flexibility and agility. There is recognition also of a need to create opportunities for people to balance their working and personal lives more effectively where possible.’ Other figures secured by Ms Nolan reveal the State spent over €7 million euro on new laptops, mobile phones, and office furnishings for staff working from home. Outside of Justice, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which monitors public spending, has been by far the largest spender at nearly €2.4 million.

That figure includes €250,000 spent on staff at the Department and another €2.1 million spent on bodies. The Office of

Public Works (OPW) and the National Shared Services Office (NSSO) had the highest spends – at €795,000, and €729,960 respectively.

The Department of Tourism, Culture, and the Arts, which spent €1.2 million on equipment and supports to allow staff to work from home, and the Department of Agriculture, which spent roughly €1 million, are the highest spending departments following the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

The Department of Rural Affairs has spent the least, at roughly €135,000, closely followed by the Department of

Foreign Affairs, which has spent €156,000.

Commenting on the figures, which do not include expenditure by the HSE, Ms Nolan said: ‘We have yet to quantify precisely what level of ongoing expenditure will be involved.

‘The issue of rural broadband, and the lack of connectivity is bound to throw a spanner in the works.’