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Government spending €1.5 million to store paper records each year

Storing paper files in off-site locations is costing over €1.5m every year.

MINISTER FOR PUBLIC Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe is to bring a memo to Cabinet on a new plan aimed at cutting the cost of storing paper records.

The archiving of records across all departments cost around €1.5 million for each of the last three years.

It’s understood that files and records for various government departments are stored in warehouses at off-site locations around the country.

The plan aims to reduce the spend on off-site storage for records and move to electronically storing data.

The National Archives Act 1986 requires public service records to be preserved. Such records cannot be destroyed except under certain circumstances, such as on receipt of a disposal authorisation issued by the National Archives.

Records built up over the years are moved out of the departments to off-site locations, but this can prove costly.

Of the various government departments, Social Protection pays out the most money on storing files, spending over €439,000 in 2016.

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(Can’t see that chart, click here)

The minister said his new plan ”aims to assist coherent and comprehensive records management within the public service”.

Donohoe said the new initiative will ensure there is clarity in all departments on roles and responsibilities relating to record-keeping, data management, and information management.

Read: Volunteer accused of abuse was allowed to keep working at disability service for years>

Read: Bizarre hoax email to councillors claimed high-earners exempt from €6 gallery entry fee>

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    Mute James Ward
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    Jan 4th 2021, 11:14 AM

    This seems to bypass what the strike is about – the state is trying to employ public health consultants at the current rate of €120k per year to increase the competence in the health service. Some IMO members reckon they can get €250k in private industry with the same qualifications, and want this to be the baseline, and the 60 or so doctors currently employed would instantly double their contract cost/salary, be retained as consultants rather than public health doctors. If we are serious about public health reform, then this type of duopoly of private consultant salaries for all is highly dangerous, and trickles down to every part of public health.

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    Mute Jim Buckley Barrett
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    Jan 4th 2021, 12:24 PM

    @James Ward: 120k is a great salary, 250k is ridiculous when nurses can’t get a proper salary.

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    Mute Football in the Groin
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    Jan 4th 2021, 12:41 PM

    @James Ward: So it’s about people on huge amounts of money wanting more. Actually more than double the huge amounts of money they already earn. Fair enough.

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    Mute Mickety Dee
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    Jan 4th 2021, 1:07 PM

    @James Ward: There must be more to it. Otherwise all the doctors would go private and the state would have no choice but to raise salaries. A strike wouldn’t be needed

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    Mute Cosmos20202020
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    Jan 4th 2021, 11:11 AM

    Consultant status i.e. pay raise …

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    Mute RogersRabbit
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    Jan 4th 2021, 10:43 AM

    Just wait till this is all over and the HSE starts getting sued for all their employees getting COVID.

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Jan 4th 2021, 11:06 AM

    I know of healthcare workers who were instructed through emails by management not to wear masks at work.

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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Jan 4th 2021, 11:08 AM

    @ChronicAnxiety: Really? Well, that’s me convinced.

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    Mute Cosmos20202020
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    Jan 4th 2021, 11:10 AM

    @ChronicAnxiety: name of worker, place of work and name of manager?

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    Mute Damo
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    Jan 4th 2021, 11:21 AM

    @ChronicAnxiety: your comment is giving me chronic anxiety, care to elaborate?

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    Mute Dan
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    Jan 4th 2021, 11:29 AM

    @JusticeForJoe: :)

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Jan 4th 2021, 1:59 PM
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    Mute Kevin McClean
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    Jan 4th 2021, 2:20 PM

    @ChronicAnxiety: widespread in March!!

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Jan 4th 2021, 3:15 PM

    @Kevin McClean: Yes .

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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Jan 7th 2021, 1:15 AM

    @ChronicAnxiety: Did you even read that article beyond the headline?? Ya clearly didn’t actually

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    Mute G.
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    Jan 4th 2021, 2:14 PM

    That’s mightily big of them isn’t it. Supermarket workers have a lot more of a case to go on strike.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jan 4th 2021, 12:43 PM

    Seems a bit like a lie to state, a year into a pandemic, that it’s a priority of his department to promote people who have been waiting for years.

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