A Fianna Fáil TD has “demanded” that a uniform transparency standard must be applied across all state bodies regarding their spending of taxpayer money.
Fianna Fáil TD for Galway East, Albert Dolan, has argued that Ireland should bring an end to what he calls its “two-tier transparency system” by insisting that all public bodies publish full, uniform, machine-readable procurement information.
He welcomed what he described as “major recent progress” by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the HSE and the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB), while cautioning that “long-standing data gaps must now be closed across the entire public sector.”
After receiving correspondence from Deputy Dolan, TII has released its complete purchase-order records for Q1 2024 through Q2 2025, with older datasets from 2021–2023 due to follow “shortly”. This publication includes machine-readable CSV files detailing more than €2.3 billion in spending on roads, public transport, active travel and capital projects.
Dolan approvingly noted that TII “engaged constructively and moved quickly to fix the gap.”
“When a transparency issue is identified, the response should be fast and practical,” he said.
“TII has delivered real, usable data and that is the standard I want every public body to meet.”
In addition, a Parliamentary Question from Deputy Dolan resulted in confirmation from the HSE that it is preparing to release the missing purchase-order data from 2014 to Q3 2021 – a seven-year gap in information around major healthcare expenditure.
Although older files were previously “unable to be isolated” within the HSE’s internal systems, the agency has now promised to review and publish them this quarter in a machine-readable format.
“I welcome this commitment, taxpayers fund the health service,” he said.
“They deserve to see clearly where their money is going.”
Separately, the NPHDB has issued purchase-order data for Q1 2024 to Q2 2025, which is the first time such information has been made public for the National Children’s Hospital.
According to Dolan, “The files reveal substantial dispute-resolution payments to contractor BAM, shedding new light on why costs have escalated.”
“For years we heard the costs were rising, but the public couldn’t see why. These new listings show exactly what has been happening,” Dolan said.
He pointed out, however, that twelve years of earlier procurement records – from 2013 onward – remain unreleased, warning that the €800 million in claims submitted by BAM “cannot be properly assessed without full transparency.”
Earlier this year, Dolan created a nationwide procurement dataset covering over 200 public bodies and €80 billion in expenditure to help members of the public and journalists to scrutinise public spending.
“This is exactly why I ran: to open up public spending and give taxpayers clear answers,” he said.
“TII has taken a strong step. The HSE is now moving. The Children’s Hospital is finally beginning to catch up. But full accountability requires one standard: machine-readable, comprehensive, timely data from every State body. No exceptions.”