PeoplePoint, the new Human Resources and Pensions Shared Service Centre for the Civil Service, based in Clonskeagh, Dublin has been officially been opened.
The Peoplepoint centre, when fully operational, will provide HR and Pensions transactional services to 40 Departments, Offices and Agencies. Six departments (Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Department of Finance, Department of Justice & Equality, Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, The Central Statistics Office, and the An Garda Siochána Ombudsman Commission) have transitioned across so far. The next round are due to transition at the end of August 2013. It is envisaged that all departments and offices will be transitioned (through three subsequent tranches) to PeoplePoint by the end of 2014. Annual savings of €12.5m and a reduction of 17 percent in staff numbers in HR are expected to be made.
120 staff have transferred to the PeoplePoint office in Clonskeagh from other departments and public bodies to staff the operation and it is envisaged there will be over 300 staff in place when PeoplePoint is fully operational.
Speaking at the opening, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin said “this major change in the way we deliver HR not only allows us to introduce a model for improved and more efficient service delivery it also gives us the opportunity to transform how we manage our most valuable resource – our people – across the civil service. It facilitates the realignment of our focus to more strategic HR activities, such as workforce planning, succession planning, and talent management.”