Codestone

Category: Support & Managed Services

Outsourced IT could be one feature that may have to play a prominent part in an Irish deal designed to secure public sector salaries.

According to the Irish Independent, the Croke Park deal remains on the table and, if agreed, will mean pay for those in the sector will be protected until 2014.

But the government has warned that one of the steps required to make this possible is the outsourcing of some public sector work to private companies.

Some councils have started by using outside firms to carry out bin collections, but the promise of further ventures in this area may soon result in IT work being completed by private sector staff too.

Unions had initially been concerned about the decision of many councils to outsource tasks, but the government has said this will be allowed in every case that local authorities can prove they save money and increase productivity.

Martyn Hart, chairman of the National Outsourcing Association, recently said using outsourcing technology is "quicker, cheaper and ... better" than standard methods.

Posted by Jamie Rees