The Government is facing renewed scrutiny over the Department of Social Protection’s reliance on external technology providers after figures revealed that €102.8 million was paid to Deloitte between 2020 and 2025.
The expenditure covered consultancy and specialist IT services, including digital-product development, production support and work connected with MyGovID. Spending reached its highest annual level in 2024, when payments to the professional-services firm totalled €22.2 million.
Social Democrats social protection spokesperson Mr Eoin Hayes described the scale of the expenditure as deeply concerning and urged the Government to strengthen the public sector’s ability to design, operate and maintain its own digital systems.
He argued that essential technical expertise should be developed within the State rather than repeatedly purchased from private companies. Mr Hayes has called for a comprehensive audit of the external firms engaged by the department to establish whether taxpayers are receiving adequate value.
He also warned that unnecessary spending on contractors reduces the funding available to support people experiencing persistent poverty, including lone parents, disabled people and older people living alone.
The Department of Social Protection defended its use of external specialists, pointing to the scale and complexity of the systems required to administer more than €27 billion in social-protection services during 2024.
A departmental spokesperson said welfare services depend heavily on secure and reliable technology, with payments being processed every week. The department described ICT expenditure as an investment in maintaining an efficient social-protection system and said projects are subject to central oversight and ongoing value-for-money monitoring. It added that Deloitte personnel work alongside the department’s internal technology teams and that some specialist services are available only through external IT providers.
The department maintains that its consultancy expenditure has delivered value for money.
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