“That, To Me, Suggests Biometrics”

at

This morning.

At the Public Accounts Committee.

The committee’s chair Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming read from a letter outlining the costs to date related to the Public Services Card.

The letter sent to the committee was from secretary-general of the Department of Employment and Social Protection, John McKeon, and stated the cost of the card has, so far, amounted to €67.8million.

Reading from the letter, Mr Fleming said:

“€36million of which is in respect of staff costs, related to the administration of the SAFE process and then there’s €31.8million has been paid – broken down as follows: €29.2m to the card production company, set-up costs of €26 [million]….that doesn’t add up. It might have been €2.6 [million] perhaps. And they have desk and card activation at €2.64million.”

The Irish Times reported on the letter this morning, stating that, from the €67.8million figure, €36million was spent on staff costs, and:

“€29.2 million was spent on the card production company, €294,000 was spent on facial matching software and maintenance, and €2.3 million was spent on departmental hardware and ‘systems development’.”

Mr Fleming said representatives from the department are scheduled to come before the Public Accounts Committee in a few weeks and that members will then get to ask them specific questions about the card.

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy asked that they be asked about the lifespan of the card, what the projected cost is, and if there are any storage costs in relation to the card.

She also added:

“I note here that ‘we don’t have biometrics’ , according to the department but ‘we have facial matching software and maintenance’. It’s not a gigantic amount of money but that, to me, suggests biometrics.”

Watch the Public Accounts Committee meeting live here

Public Service Card cost nears €68m as enforcement order ‘imminent’ (The Irish Times)

Previously: Public Services Card on Broadsheet

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5 thoughts on ““That, To Me, Suggests Biometrics”

  1. worker

    we the people, are nothing more than a cash-cow and votes to Fine Gael. This is a great example, they’d make a mint off harvesting and selling all our data, and once we spoke up about it it was just seen as us being difficult and fussy for no good reason. we were to be ignored. they don’t care what we think, they just need us to stay quite and be a resource, but then vote when they need us to.

  2. Truth in the News

    Who are involved by way of contract to provide the card services to the Dept
    What connection have they to other parent companies or bodies outside the
    State, has data collected from cards being transferred or evaluated outside
    Ireland…..its time to shut down the entire project, as it was in effect a national
    identity scam worthy of the “Stasi” using electronic means that even the “Stasi”
    never enjoyed.

    1. A Person

      Oh Jaysus. Why are people so worked up by this? Its an id card, just like a passport or drivers licence. Companies that want your info get it by anyway by your online presence.

      BTW Bodger, how come no coverage of the Lunney attack, including his brother’s impressive interview on RTE – surely that’s a more important story than cartoons or the article above.

  3. A Person

    Once again Immature Man is tracking me rather than addressing the issue. Is it because your shinner cousins were involved in Lunney beating and other intimidation? Not being paid protection, no show money? No money to go on peaceful protests? I have no interest in FG or any other so-called right wing party. What gets me is the like s of your lefty “warriors!” spouting utter shxte on these forums. Just like “worker” above – “we the people, are nothing more than a cash-cow”…

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