Call for transparency on €1.5million already spent on Cork Event Centre

CORK Labour Party local area representative Peter Horgan has called for more transparency on spending around the Cork Event Centre spending.

It has been revealed that almost €1.5million of public spending has been spent on the project despite a single brick being laid.

The expenditure report, attained through Freedom of Information (FoI) legislation by Mr Horgan, details that €1,492,178.64 of the public money has been spent on legal fees and consultation.

€1million of this funding was received from Dept of Tourism, Culture Arts Gaeltacht Sport and Media.

The Cork Labour Party local area representative has told The Echo that he plans to appeal to decision to withhold part of the copy records, stating that the people of Cork, city and county, deserve to know what is being done with their money.

“It’s clearer than ever to me that this multi-million euro project, substantially funded by the taxpayer, needs a shot of public confidence. That can only come from a thorough publication of all documentation relating to the event centre from City Hall and central government. The people of Cork, city and county, deserve to know what their money is being spent on,” Mr Horgan said.

The reported expenditure dates back to April 2014 and reveals that almost €1million of the overall spend has been paid to management consultants Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and the law firm, Ronan Daly Jermyn (RDJ).

Between 2014 and 2017, payments made to PWC accounted for €483,000 of the event centre funding for the overseeing of the tender process for future state funding.

The need for future state funding came as BAM Contractors LTD confirmed that the estimated cost of the project had risen from the initial €50.4 million to €65 million, due to a more detailed design plan in 2017.

As of March 2019, BAM showed that the estimated costs of the project had risen to €85 million.

Susiesfield Developments LTD continues to carry out a detailed design on the Cork event centre.

It is estimated that this detailed design process is soon to be completed.

On this, Mr Horgan said: “For years this has trundled on with little to no light at the end of the tunnel. For years we have seen delay and unnecessary inflation add cost to the public purse for this project. How much longer before a brick is laid? How much longer before businesses can plan for events in such a centre?”

According to the Labour representative, the ongoing project has become “a shackle around the city’s neck”.