Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

There is serious concern regarding the cost of the port tunnel project in view of the several significant changes that have been made by the NRA. These changes have not been identified individually to me but there are clearly cost implications. They arise as a consequence of an internal report compiled by the port tunnel operators, EGIS, which indicated the existence of serious issues regarding the safety performance of the tunnel, relating specifically to the Scada system. Has the architecture of the Scada system been redesigned and replaced? Have unsuitable computer components been replaced? Has the capacity of the Scada system to respond in a safe and correct manner to emergencies been reconfigured and, if so, what has been the cost of this change? The fundamental issue is safety. I understand the Minister has responsibility to issue a safety audit directly to the European Union.

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