Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The system is doing what it is designed to do. From a cost perspective, it has been completed at a substantially lower cost than estimated. It will be fully operational by Christmas and is at the last stages of enhancement. It has been fully operational but, along the way, a number of new capabilities and initiatives that people believed were beneficial to the system arose. I am advised that they will be finished by Christmas. The system is applied to all Departments and virtually all Government memoranda. When I asked I was told "all" meant over 99% with just a few that may come in late falling outside that. The system provides instant secure transmission within Departments.

In respect of the companies involved, like any other project of this complexity, it was necessary from time to time to engage a small number of additional contributors of specialist services. One of these, for example, arose from the need for independent security advice. Also, infrastructure needed to be installed and configured and a few website styles for viewing documents in electronic environments were designed. All these services were commissioned by the project team. The original report done by PWC included €825,000 for the project management but as I pointed out previously, that was undertaken by my Department so that cost did not arise.

The contract for software development with InVision Research Corporation cost €952,000. This does not include the cost of any change to enhancements I have mentioned. The main contractor was InVision Research Corporation which developed the software. The system is fully up and running.

I am not sure if the Reach project was more complicated but many more Departments were involved in it, including the Department of Social and Family Affairs and other Departments. It was far more complex in the range of challenges. It concerned Government memoranda and access to them. Work is still ongoing on this project across the range of Departments involved. I have not yet seen the latest report but I understand it is quite an intricate project. I have not been involved because the work is being carried out by a committee. Some officials of my Department are involved in it. They are hoping to overcome some of the difficulties but it is quite a complex system as it links many facets. However, they believe they can get on top of it.

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