Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. O'Brien. That is all very useful. I am thinking of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the confusion about digital mapping and the introduction of different bits and pieces into existing systems that are not compatible, and the impact that has on the citizen in terms of delayed payments and so on.

I take what Mr. O'Brien said earlier about income streams being discounted in one area of social protection and allowed in another, school grants and so on. The more he talks, the more of a quagmire I see. As a committee, we need to slow this down and get it right as much as our scrutiny can allow in terms of comparables.

Mr. O'Brien referred to the need for open and scalable models so that trust can be built up. It is crucial in the management of the relationship between the State and citizen. It can be wonderful, and save a lot of time and prevent mistakes, such as in our health system, but it can also lead to a lot of destruction and distress for citizens. I look forward to expanding on this even more. I thank the witnesses for their presentation.