'Competency' of State bodies questioned after almost double the contract value spent on IT project

The department's general secretary said there had been 'clear justification' for the changes, which had given rise 'to significant added value to the ETB sector' with 'full value for money' having been achieved

The Department of Education project involved the migration of the 10 education and training boards onto a 'SUN/P2P financial management system platform' which was already in use by the remaining six boards. File Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

The “competency” of State bodies to successfully manage tech budgets has been called into question after it emerged another government department had spent €6.4m, close to double what was contracted for, on an IT project.

In 2023, the Department of Education spent €6.39m — 93% in excess of the contract value of €3.3m — on a project aimed at consolidating 10 education and training boards (ETBs) onto a catch-all financial management system.