Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Sinn Féin TD John Brady, has announced that City of Dublin ETB (CDETB) will be called before the committee at the earliest available opportunity, amid growing concerns about the level of spend on ICT projects within the organisation.
The decision follows correspondence provided to PAC that outlines how €3.8 million was spent between late 2015 and March 2022 on a scrapped project for the redevelopment of the SUSI ICT system. In addition, the correspondence shows that another ICT project, MySUSI, was initiated in April 2022, with €3.285 million already spent as of September 2025, yet no projected timeline or cost has been determined.
Teachta Brady said:
“This is an extraordinarily concerning revelation of further wastage of taxpayers’ money on an ICT project.
“This new information shows that €3.8 million was completely wasted on the initial project that did not result in the successful delivery of a completed system, before a decision was taken to terminate the relevant contracts in 2021.
“Incredibly, €3.285 million has now been spent on a new and similar project, yet there is absolutely no finalised timeline or estimated cost.
“So 11 years since the initial project began, and with over €7 million spent, we are none the wiser for the status of this initiative and when it will be delivered.
“This is seriously concerning to say the least.
“At my suggestion, PAC has taken the decision to call CDETB before the committee at the earliest available opportunity, so that we can get more information regarding this project and determine if appropriate oversight mechanisms are in place.
“This is a trend we are seeing right across the board where millions upon millions of taxpayers’ money is being squandered on ICT projects.
“PAC has undertaken a programme of work on this topic – writing to all departments and state bodies for a detailed breakdown of expenditure on IT systems with regard to overspends, governance and oversight.
“Many of these responses have been alarming and paint a picture of consistent issues with ICT projects across many departments and state bodies.
“The question also has to be asked: where is the ministerial oversight and where is the government on this?
“They are asleep at the wheel, as this is allowed to happen time and time again.”
ENDS