Arts Council wastes 7 mil

_BAA_RAM_EWE · 13-02-2025 06:17PM #1

Blah blah blah, here we go again, nothing new, nothing will be done. spent it on a non existent IT system, this bit is funny about the new minister

Minister for the Arts Patrick O'Donovan said he was "desperately angry" about the waste of public monies.

who has just come from

Bacik also criticised O’Donovan, who served as a Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with responsibility for the Office of Public Works during the last Government.
Bacik claimed that O’Donovan had a “Midas touch” when it came to his departmental appointments, referencing OPW overspending on a security hut and Dáil bike shed last year.

One could do alot with 7 million.

Just imagine the billions spent like this in the HSE.

https://www.thejournal.ie/tds-slam-arts-council-overspend-6621924-Feb2025/

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0213/1496562-arts-council/

_BAA_RAM_EWE · 13-02-2025 06:21PM

you can only laugh at all the same heads talking about this waste today.

Good job electorate.

Cluedo Monopoly · 13-02-2025 06:24PM

I knew O'Donovan was minister for the OPW and he tried to distance himself from it throughout the election campaign.

Catherine Martin, the previous minister for arts was far too busy with RTE to oversee this disaster. Oh wait, the government did nothing with RTE except provide a bailout.

Does anyone know who got the money for this failed IT system?

13-02-2025 06:26PM

Inept IT managers who wouldn't know what an IP address is even. I've seen it in one or two organizations and there eventually forced out. There been interviewed by non technical people and get the roles to manage of team of technical people and make decisions they know nothing about.

Can talk shite for a year or two and eventually get found out like what's happened here.

LambshankRedemption · 13-02-2025 06:27PM

7 million would be a hell of a lot of money for the arts council to begin with.

For it then to not work, and get binned… is a massive scandal.

Cluedo Monopoly · 13-02-2025 06:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168187#Comment_123168187

You can be sure this system wasn't developed in-house. It would have required a procurement and one of the big consultancy firms.

13-02-2025 06:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168193#Comment_123168193

Oh exactly 100%, definitely wasn't in house. But people making the decision in house didn't have a clue

Cluedo Monopoly · 13-02-2025 06:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168199#Comment_123168199

Oh absolutely. Get the requirements/scope wrong and all IT projects fail. Or even worse, you are lazy and let the vendor define the requirements. Once these consultancy firms get a beachhead, they simply take over a project. I worked in one before. They actively target the cash cows in the public sector.

LambshankRedemption · 13-02-2025 06:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168199#Comment_123168199

External consulting + the asks by the arts council.

It will have been like the car Homer designed for his step brother in the Simpsons.

z80CPU · 13-02-2025 07:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168228#Comment_123168228

The HSE has PPARS.

StevenToast · 13-02-2025 07:35PM

What the fùck is the Arts Council anyway...

This is the sort of shìte that Musk would bin...

z80CPU · 13-02-2025 07:39PM

The system could have been created by Banksy

geographica · 13-02-2025 07:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168191#Comment_123168191

Don’t they get something like 140 million from the public purse?

scandalous waste of 7 mill

harryharry25 · 13-02-2025 08:04PM

This was known by the media and Govt a year ago, and it was obvs a choice by both to ignore it before any election took place

Take a look at CATHERINE MARTIN’S €7M HEADACHE - The Phoenix Magazine! |

https://www.thephoenix.ie/article/catherine-martins-e7m-headache-arts-council/

Archduke Franz Ferdinand · 13-02-2025 08:45PM

there will be “learnings”…. There are always “learnings”

Kaisr Sose · 13-02-2025 09:13PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168191#Comment_123168191

It is a massive scandal given the level of funding they get (€130m in 2023). This would be equivalent to HSE blowing a few hundred million. Procurement rules broken.

This mkes the OPW's extortionate spend on a bike shed or security hut look like good value, and they did get something useful at the end of it.

itsacoolday · 13-02-2025 09:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168442#Comment_123168442

The whole arts council thing is a scandal. It just rewards inefficiency and waste in the economy. I know a few people who get a small slice of arts council funding every year and they are of no real use to the economy.

_BAA_RAM_EWE · 13-02-2025 09:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168425#Comment_123168425

most of what he has done so far was a benefit to himself in some way. like firing people investigating him. or just flat out wrong like USAID and the Lutherans. They're may have been waste, if so find it. of all the things he could have focused on...hes hurting poor people.

Ireland needs a clear out. 20,000 need to be fired out of HSE. most of them start at 9am.

kirving · 13-02-2025 10:10PM

The directors of consultancy companies and other companies who accept government contracts should be legally/contractually required to whistle blow if, in their professional opinion, there is incompetency, neglect, or mismanagement.

Just yesterday, following clear incompetence about the requirements of a project from one of our client's project teams, we reported that to their management. We could have very easily sold them a pup, but we're required to raise the alarm rather than just **** them over.

I just can't see how that type of charter isn't a core part of government contracts.

castletownman · 13-02-2025 10:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168765#Comment_123168765

Shhh. You cannot criticise the artists.

They can't handle the real pressures of a working life, but their 'art' is so important to everyday life.

Augme · 13-02-2025 10:17PM

Ah yes, who needs art in their life. Instead we should all work 12 hour days and 7 days a week for our corporate masters and be grateful for everyday they let us live.

13-02-2025 10:20PM

What scumbag private sector company effectively stole tax payers money?

Expunge · 13-02-2025 10:22PM

I guess these luvvies in the Arts Council can expect an RTE style time in 2025 as stories about fantastic jollies at amazing places in top, top hotels come tumbling out in the next while.

Mike Murdock · 13-02-2025 10:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168210#Comment_123168210

And much like BAM with construction projects, these Consultancies still get these jobs even when they **** it up.

Jack Daw · 13-02-2025 10:22PM

We desperately need a version of DOGE in Ireland.

retalivity · 13-02-2025 10:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168916#Comment_123168916

Why? its their modus operandi to get in the door, then milk for as much as is possible. Have seen it multiple times through the years in the private sector as much as the public. Get the contract on a sh1t-hot presentation or blabbing, put a heap of kids on the project and charge top rate, go over budget and get one or 2 competent people in to 'save' the project, deliver the bare minimum, behind schedule and over budget, but dress mutton up as lamb and pat yourself on the back. Rinse and repeat.

harryharry25 · 13-02-2025 10:24PM

The man responsible for the national childrens hospital, is very angry with people wasting taxpayer money

He even manages to keep a straight face while saying it

https://twitter.com/FineGael/status/1890030617250898210?t=aZb4G6Y289Mg4mvBfuJVPA&s=19

Cluedo Monopoly · 13-02-2025 10:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168503#Comment_123168503

That's interesting. Harris said they were not aware until very recently.

Augme · 13-02-2025 10:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168962#Comment_123168962

I love he makes it sound as if he and his party haven't been in government for 14 odd years. He tried that tactic before the election and it failed miserably. He still hasn't figured that out though, it seems.

harryharry25 · 13-02-2025 10:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168963#Comment_123168963

Considering the Phoenix magazine reported it a year ago, Simon is a liar

_BAA_RAM_EWE · 13-02-2025 10:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168962#Comment_123168962

5 more years of looking at that creature talking sh1te

Arts Council wastes 7 mil

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