NTA Faces PAC Scrutiny Over Irish Rail IT Delays, €36M Spent, 2027 Target

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is under renewed scrutiny by the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) regarding delays and cost overruns on major public transport IT systems. Committee Chair John Brady expressed shock at the NTA's portrayal of an Irish Rail project, calling the situation «alarming». PAC will seek further information from the NTA and inform Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien.

Concerns were raised that train services between Bray and Rosslare could be affected. The issues stem from a major IT contractor involved in a new train traffic control system for Irish Rail and the next-generation national ticketing system. Fine Gael TD Grace Boland found it «alarming» that the NTA could not provide a cost figure for the train control project, which Minister O'Brien described as the rail system's «brains».

€36 million has already been spent on the project, initially budgeted at €19.5 million, with the commissioning date pushed from 2024 to 2027 for the most basic phase. Deputy Brady noted the project manager has «no confidence in Indra's ability to deliver». Deputy Boland highlighted serious corporate governance issues, stating the project only returned to the NTA board in 2019 after its 2019 initial presentation, despite the project being due for delivery that year. She also criticized the procurement and due diligence processes, noting the contractor's track record of delivery issues elsewhere.

Discrepancies were found between NTA board reports and Irish Rail board minutes, with internal documents reflecting more serious concerns about delivery risks than those presented to PAC. Deputy Boland criticized the «nonchalant tone» in some NTA reports compared to Irish Rail's more cautious assessments, emphasizing the need for full and accurate information for oversight bodies. She also raised concerns about repeated revisions to timelines and costs, making it difficult to establish a final project figure.