CIÉ’s chief executive today said he could not recall discussing cost overruns on a rail-signalling project with the Minister for Public Enterprise and Transport before October 2000.
Mr John Lynch, who was appointed to the role in April of that year, said he first became aware of difficulties with the Mini CTC system in May that year.
Speaking on the opening day of the Oireachtas sub-committee on Public Enterprise and Transport inquiry into why a CIÉ project for a Mini CTC rail-signalling network ran £36 million over budget Mr Lynch said he only became aware of the scale of cost-overruns after reading a consultant’s report in July 2000.
Labour Deputy Mr Pat Rabbitte asked Mr Lynch if he had met Minister O’Rourke in the months between reading the report and October 19th 2000 to discuss the issue?
Mr Lynch replied he could not remember. "I’m not saying I didn’t. I’m saying I can’t remember.
He told the inquiry that his primary concern was in trying to sort out the spiralling costs.