Public services card price tag surges to €67.8m

The Government’s public service card price tag has surged by another €8m in the past two years, with figures showing the total cost of the project has hit €67.8m.

The Department of Social Protection confirmed the costs as it revealed millions has been spent on staff, administration, cameras, and “facial matching” software.

In a letter to the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee, the department’s secretary general John McKeon said officials have to date spent €67.8m on the SAFE identity authentication and public service card plans. This is €8m higher than the last update on the project’s cost two years ago, and includes:

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€36m “in respect of staff costs related to the administration of the SAFE process and the administration of public service cards”;

€26.55m for setting up the policy, producing, and issuing the cards;

€2.64m on help desk and card activisation costs;

€294,000 on “facial matching software and maintenance”;

€2.3m on departmental cameras, keypads, and systems related to the plans.

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The costs are expected to be raised at today’s PAC meeting. In addition to an ongoing ombudsman and Government row, concerns have previously been raised over the use of facial recognition software linked to the cards.