Public accounts committee asked to review and clarify Cork Event Centre plans

THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been asked to urgently review the Cork Event Centre in a bid to gain clarity on the long-awaited project and to “ensure that taxpayers' money is used appropriately”.

The request was submitted to the committee this week by Sinn Féin TDs Thomas Gould and Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire and the party’s city councillors, Mick Nugent, Fiona Kerins, Kenneth Collins and Orla O’Leary.

Speaking after submitting the request, Mr Gould was critical of the delays in delivering the centre and said Sinn Féin believe it is now time for the Public Accounts Committee to review the project in a bid to “get answers to the serious questions that have been raised by the process”.

This was echoed by Mr Ó Laoghaire who said: “We want the events centre done but we want it done right, and we also need to ensure that taxpayers' money is used appropriately.

“We now need to see a clear and credible schedule for delivery.” 

On Tuesday, city councillors voted against a proposal brought under Section 140 of the Local Government Act (2001) stating that Cork City Council “rescinds the request for additional funding from central Government in respect of the contract with BAM for the Cork Event Centre and instead secures central Government funding for a publicly-owned and operated Cork Event Centre”.

It was tabled by An Rabharta Glas councillor Lorna Bogue and supported by Workers’ Party councillor Ted Tynan and Socialist Party councillor Brian McCarthy.

Speaking at the meeting, Ms Bogue said she would be writing to the Public Accounts Committee in respect of what she described as a “lack of transparency on the budget and contract”.

The consortium that won the tender for the centre, BAM and Live Nation, was initially expected to benefit from a €20m State aid package, which was later increased to €50m and then to €57m.

It was revealed at a meeting of Cork City Council in December that the event centre project would require an additional funding allocation following the completion of detailed design.

Councillors were told by the city council’s chief executive Ann Doherty at the meeting on Tuesday that “no money has been paid to anybody” in relation to the project.

“Just to confirm, there is no contract to share with anybody because there is no contract, it will be a funding agreement once the grant is agreed,” she said.

“At the moment, there is a grant of €57m.” 

Ms Doherty stressed that the project is “not a fully funded public project”, but it is rather a “partnership”, with private sector investment also.