Government under fire for ‘€3m photo-call’

THE Government was last night accused of squandering €3 million on a new IT fiasco, with only a photograph to show for the wasted taxpayers’ cash.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny insisted the Health Service Portal project was a disaster and its “fake launch” amounted to the most expensive publicity stunt in Irish history.

The latest IT waste row erupted as Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s new clampdown on soaring bills for outside experts was attacked - because it would involve more private consultants.

Mr Kenny told the Dáil that then Health Minister Micheál Martin launched the portal - intended to allow a single internet point of contact for patients - in a blaze of publicity in May last year.

“This was the most expensive photo-call in the history of the State. The portal is not up and running. It doesn’t exist. The ‘portal’ used for the photo was a mock-up.

“The €3m of taxpayers’ money spent on the project resulted in one photo shoot and no website,” he said.

Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney conceded the portal had failed.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte linked the latest embarrassment with last week’s revelations over the €150m PPARS payroll system.

Ms Harney admitted there had been no fixed price contract with the consultants involved in the PPARS project.

“It seemed the more they worked, the more they got paid. There was no incentive in the contract for the consultants to deliver a particular project and get paid on the basis of results.

“The amount of money that went to consultancy on this project, and indeed on other projects, is excessive,” she said.

The row flared as Mr Ahern unveiled his initiative to exert tighter control of IT projects and consultancy bills in the wake of the political storm sparked by the PPARS exposure.

The crackdown, which was finalised at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, will see new and existing IT projects scrutinised by a panel of senior civil servants.

The Government it would “be supplemented where necessary by external expertise from the private sector and internationally”.

Fine Gael said it was “nonsense” to use outside consultants to assess outside consultants.