Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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124. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the analysis that has been carried out by his Department on the expenditure of public bodies across all of Government on IT projects; the percentage of projects which have been successfully completed in budget and on time; the percentage which failed to be delivered; the number of public bodies that have engaged in, or are in the process of, seeking legal redress for the failure of contractors to deliver IT projects in line with contracts; the cost of legal fees incurred as a result; and if he plans to conduct an audit across public bodies on this matter. [16048/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department, through Circular 14/2021, has an oversight and approval role for all new digital and ICT initiatives. Section 5 of the Circular outlines the criteria that will be used to evaluate the proposed initiative and Section 6 reminds organisations of their ongoing need to ensure value for money and to review support contracts on a regular basis, returning to the market as appropriate. The Circular is clear that it does not lessen the accountability of organisations which continue to be directly responsible and accountable for the effective and appropriate delivery of digital and ICT related initiatives as well as their success.

As the Deputy may be aware, for initiatives with an estimated cost in excess of €5m, my Department initiates the Peer Review process, as set out in Circular 14/2021. The purpose of the Peer Review process is to assess if the governance arrangements of initiatives of scale, risk and/or strategic importance, are appropriately established and operated to provide maximum assurance of successful delivery. The role of the Peer Review Group (PRG) is to provide independent advice and support to both the Digital Government Oversight Unit (DGOU) in my Department, and also the Project Team, and to act as a critical friend to the project.

The PRG periodically reviews project documentation and project status updates and meets with the Project Team to discuss. On foot of each review, the PRG issues an informed opinion, to my Department, on the overall health of the project and its continued viability. This opinion is presented as a Red/Amber/Green (RAG) status, generated by the PRG, with supplementary notes and comments. Areas of concern identified by a PRG which are not, in the opinion, of the DGOU, mitigated satisfactorily, may be escalated for the attention of the Government Chief Information Officer, the relevant Expenditure Management Division in my Department and/ or the Accounting Officer of the Sponsoring Organisation. As I mentioned above, the relevant Accounting Officer remains responsible for the successful delivery of projects undertaken by their organisation including all associated expenditure and contracts.