Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As regards the IT systems that were mentioned, we have established that a certain amount of the €35 million will go to plug holes rather than be spent new development. We do not yet have the exact figure for that. We have established that there has been no audit of systems to understand to where the money used to plug holes goes annually. It is done on a priority basis year by year. Given that A Vision for Change is being implemented and new money is being invested every year, has there been any forward planning as regards recruitment and the recruitment backlogs, the IT system and what it is compromising and whether the difficulties in the IT system and recruitment are related? If the IT system difficulties relate to recruitment issues, why is the money that is being used to plug holes - which was being used as new money - not used to develop the system? It seems that staff cannot be found or recruited but a certain amount of money is being handed back every year instead of being used to improve the recruitment process. I understand the witnesses may not be able to answer my question today but I would like the answers by the next occasion on which they appear before the committee, and, in particular, if recruitment is to be addressed.