Murphy questions Irish Water contract for Abtran firm

Questions have been raised about the awarding of the call service contract for Irish Water to Cork-based company Abtran.

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy said there were “obvious questions of probity” in the awarding of the contract to the company, which she claimed had two “high-profile failings” in previous contracts.

She said the company had failed with the student grant application processing system Susi, and had failed when it was awarded the property tax contract, which she said was subsequently implemented by the Revenue Commissioners.

The Kildare North TD said that from Freedom of Information requests she had learned an email had been sent on February 15th, 2012, to the private secretary of then minister for environment Phil Hogan seeking a meeting with "Phil".

Awarded contract

A reply was sent the same day agreeing to a meeting which took place on February 27th, 2012, with the co-owner of Abtran. She said that in March, Abtran was awarded the contract, worth €50 million over four years.

Ms Murphy, who has previously raised questions about the sale of water meter company Siteserv, said that in late 2015, a State investment vehicle also invested a non-disclosed amount into Abtran.

She asked what the investment was for and how much money was involved.

She expressed frustration at the operation of the FOI system and said trying to get information from Irish Water was like trying to pull hens’ teeth.

She noted that freedom of information cover “just falls outside the timeframe for the Irish Water call centre contract by a number of weeks”.

Addressing the Tánaiste, Joan Burton, she asked whether she was satisfied “that despite the very public failings in relation to Susi and the property tax” that it was the correct decision to award Abtran the contract.

‘Teething problems’

Ms Burton responded that the City of Dublin VEC had been in charge of the Susi grant applications. There were “definitely teething problems” with it, but it “is now deemed to be one of the best new systems installed by any Irish government”.

She said the feedback, both from students’ unions, parents and individual students, was that college grants were now paid on time.

The Tánaiste added that the Revenue Commissioners’ reported very high levels of compliance with property tax payments and the system worked in an efficient and effective way.

The Government, she added, had introduced a register for lobbyists and expanded on Freedom of Information legislation.