Sinn Féin criticises Government over €50m 'waste' on rail IT system

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said Irish Rail asked for the contract to deliver the IT system to be terminated a year ago after losing confidence in contractor Indra’s ability to deliver the project. File picture

The Government has been criticised for not acting on a “waste” of public money in relation to issues with the development of a rail traffic management IT system.

The Dáil heard that €50 million has been written off in relation to developing a rail management system and that a further €100,000 a week is being paid as a decision has not yet been made to end the contract.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said the National Transport Authority (NTA) “is telling us that it will take months between the department and the NTA to make a recommendation”.

He called the costs associated with the project “the definition of public waste” and accused the Tánaiste of not understanding the issue.

He said Irish Rail asked for the contract to deliver the IT system to be terminated a year ago after losing confidence in contractor Indra’s ability to deliver the project.

Mr Doherty said the Department of Transport was warned last October that there were risks and “red flags” to the project.

Tánaiste Simon Harris said the “overwhelming majority” of public transport projects are delivered on budget and on time, but that there was a delay to the deliver of the traffic management system (TMS).

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

He said minister for transport Darragh O’Brien met with the NTA and with Indra in August last year.

Mr Harris said he met with them again in January this year in relation to the delivery of the TMS “as soon as possible”.

“There’s now been a re-baseline programme agreed between Irish Rail, the National Transport Authority, and the contractor Indra, and quite rightly an Oireachtas committee scrutinised this issue this week.” 

He said he will "absolutely expect the minister and Irish Rail and NewERA to do their roles in terms of ensuring that the terms of the contract are delivered upon as well".