Oireachtas to spend €1.3m on IT security for Leinster House amid budget overrun projections

The company awarded the contract will be tasked with 'delivering a set of security services and providing expertise to proactively address security risks and continue to enhance the... overall security posture' of the Houses of the Oireachtas. Stock picture

The Houses of the Oireachtas Service is offering a new €1.3m contract for IT security services for Leinster House.

This is despite reports last week that the administrative group, which oversees the running of Leinster House, would be €24m over its budget by the end of next year.

A new tender issued this week is seeking proposals for the provision of managed security services. The contract is worth €1.3m over three years.

The company awarded the contract will be tasked with “delivering a set of security services and providing expertise to proactively address security risks and continue to enhance the... overall security posture” of the Houses of the Oireachtas.

A managed security services provider is a third-party company which provides remote IT security services.

The Irish Examiner asked the Houses of the Oireachtas press office why a new service provider was being sought, if there had been any recent cyberattacks on the Oireachtas networks, and how old the current systems being used are.

No response was received.

It was reported last month that €565m was allocated for the operation of Leinster House between 2025 and 2027, but it was on course to be €24m over budget by the end of next year.

The Irish Times reported the ICT was “among the largest areas of expenditure in the Houses and a significant part of the overall budget”.

The Irish Examiner understands a meeting of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, which is chaired by Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, agreed this week to the terms of a tender for an independent review examining the operations of the Dáil and the Seanad.

It comes just a week after the Houses of the Oireachtas was forced to issue a tender for broadcasting services for a second time at a higher contract price.

The contract is valued at €13.5m, 68% higher than the original tender, which was previously offered in September 2025, at a value of €8.05m.

Videos of Dáil proceedings are being provided by the previous contractor, PI Communications, temporarily for 2026 at €2.2m. It previously said it would not retender for the services.

It follows protests by workers last year over complaints about their employment terms.