The National Transport Authority’s misuse of public money has gotten out of control and must be taken into hand by the Minister for Transport, according to Social Democrats transport spokesperson Aidan Farrelly.
Deputy Farrelly said:
“Irish taxpayers should not have to bear the brunt of the National Transport Authority’s incompetency, yet it will cost them €100,000 for every week it takes NTA to decide whether Irish Rail can terminate its contract for its failed €50 million IT system.
“This process could drag on for months, and if the NTA’s previous handling of these situations is anything to go by, we can expect the taxpayer to be saddled with a bill worth millions.
“To add insult to injury, the NTA has placed a €200,000 valuation on a review into failed the project. This organisation does not know the meaning of value for money.
“NTA chief executive Anne Shaw could not give the Oireachtas Transport Committee a timeline for how long it will take to conclude the decision-making process in terms of the contract’s termination – the NTA must cut its losses and put this saga to an end as soon as possible.
“No more time and money can be wasted in making this decision.
“This flagrant waste of public money is an insult to taxpayers and cannot go on . Not only has this IT system which will never see the light of day cost tens of millions of euro, the NTA also revealed that no new public bus services will be delivered this year due to inflation and congestion increasing costs.
“This is despite the fact that the NTA received a 43% increase in their budget last year, amounting to €940 million for Public Service Obligation routes, a record high. Inflation and congestion costs do not add up to 43%.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to have any faith in the NTA when it comes to handling the delivery of crucial public infrastructure. The Minister for Transport must hold the National Transport Authority accountable for its waste of more than €50 million of public money.”
July 1st, 2026