Lack of project management capacity, particularly around the controversial €5.3 million ICT project at the Arts Council was "a significant factor" in the failure of the project, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has stated.
The PAC report into spending of the then-titled Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media 2023, and the 2023 Financial Statements of the Arts Council and the National Gallery of Ireland was published today by Chair John Brady.
He said that the findings in the report were "overall damning" in relation to the Department.
The report investigates the information obtained from its hearings and reports pertaining to the controversies over the abandoned ICT project at the Arts Council, and the failures of the National Gallery of Ireland to utilise the X-Ray scanner it acquired in 2018.
The report found "failures from the department to intervene early on", particularly around the IT project, which ultimately cost the taxpayer €5.3 million.
The analysis also highlighted "strong progress", and areas where further improvement is required.
The National Gallery of Ireland's purchase of the X-Ray machine in 2017 cost €125,000, and the lack of suitable facilities which led to the machine being unused, were also examined.
The Gallery has since committed €222,448 from its own resources to make the equipment operational by the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, the National Gallery has confirmed that having worked with "relevant stakeholders" in recent months, there is progress on bringing the X-Ray system into operation.
The Gallery said: "As of November 2025, the x-ray cabinet is on site".
The statement goes on to say that the team there is currently "in the testing and staff training phase".
"The X-Ray function is expected to be operational before the end of the year," the statement concludes.
