The faulty computerised payroll system for the health service was so poor that it threatened the basic functioning of a hospital in which it was installed, according to a letter released today.
The letter, written on the 10 thof June by then CEO of St James's Hospital, John O'Brien, to Sean Hurley of the Health Service Executive outlines the hospital's experience of the PPARS system.
The Hospital has been involved with the development of the system since 1998.
In the letter, Mr O'Brien said that the standard of "central governance, management and operation" of the project raised "monumental concerns regarding the performance expectations and capacities of the system."
He went on to say that the hospital was not willing to continue with an arrangement which clearly threatened its "basic functioning" and its ability to meet "fiduciary accountability obligations".
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, whose party obtained the letter, said that it destroyed the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's attempts to defend the Government's stewardship of the project and the current level of performance of the IT system in place.
"This letter proves that PPARS has been handled appallingly from day one, was a source of ongoing trouble for the professionals trying to work with it and is still proving to be a source of monumental concern," he said.