Watchdog hits out as public sector IT costs soar

THE litany of public sector computer systems running way over budget and proving inadequate to the job required was lashed by the taxpayers’ watchdog yesterday.

As civil servants were grilled over the latest information technology system shambles, members of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee vented their anger at State bodies consistently coming in blaming their IT systems.

The computer system for the Forest Service of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources went from costing €5.3m to €9.2m and it was estimated yesterday that the job could ultimately cost 15m.

Going through the spiralling costs of the project and warning signs along the way, Comptroller and Auditor General John Purcell said the mismanagement saw the principles of public procurement compromised.

“Not the best use of public funds on a number of fronts,” Mr Purcell said.

Describing the project as a shocking example of mismanagement, Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said major weaknesses were identified in every area. “This is a shambles. I’m not sure I can accept growing trees and tracking them is rocket science,” he said.

From the Garda Pulse system to Bord Fáilte’s Gulliver, Fianna Fáil TD Batt O’Keeffe said he had seen it all before at the committee’s weekly meetings.

“I would have thought there would be a pool of experts within the Department of Finance to look at these projects and departments wouldn’t be operating in isolation. Yet you could Play it Again Sam every Thursday,” he said.

Defending the supervision of the spending on projects, Department of Finance assistant secretary John Thompson said similar problems occurred in the private sector.

“IT systems can provide great benefits, but it is also possible for them to go off the rails,” he said.

But Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness disagreed and said that on a regular basis someone in the public sector was blaming IT for their problems.

“In the real world, IT is being credited for giving greater efficiencies and creating money. I do not know any private companies that have made the same level of mistakes,” he said.