Councillors earmark up to £7.6m to replace out-of-date IT system

Councillors earmark up to £7.6m to replace out-of-date IT system

21 September 2016

UP to £7.6m is to be spent developing a new state-of-the-art IT system for Newry, Mourne and Down Council.

The local authority is currently struggling to merge the IT systems of the former Down and Newry and Mourne Councils which were already outdated before the bodies merged two years ago.

Since then IT engineers have found it increasingly difficult to make the IT system fit for purpose and have warned the system within the former Newry and Mourne Council was particularly out of date.

Since April a team of IT consultants has been talking to council managers and on Thursday night presented an initial report to the powerful Strategy, Policy and Resources Committee asking councillors to approve spending up to £7.6m over four years on the new system.

Aside from the headline figure of £7.6m, the report did not provide any breakdown of the expenditure plan which led to concern from several councillors, although the report was formally accepted by the politicians

Councillor Cadogan Enright voted against accepting the initial report because it did not have such costings or a detailed break down of expenditure.

“In the private sector you would not get away with presenting such a report with such a large potential expenditure without detailing exact costings,” he said.

Corporate Service Director, Dorinnia Carville, explained the next stage of the process would be providing a much more detailed strategy which would include a detailed financial breakdown. She said the £7.6m figure was the maximum the consultants said would be needed and it is possible the final figure may be less.

However, councillor Gareth Sharvin also raised concerns that councillors were being asked to approve such a large expenditure without knowing how it would be spent.

He said there is clearly a need for a new IT system but said asking for approval for the final figure before providing the breakdown makes it difficult for councillors.

Council Chief Executive, Liam Hannaway, said a new IT system is central to the delivery of the ambitious programme of activity outlined in the council’s corporate and directorate business plans.

He said the business plans are heavily reliant on a good IT system which would help residents in a rural area connect with the council on a host of fronts.

The strategy will now be considered by the full council but is almost certain to be approved.