€700k spent on legal fees for Cork Event Centre

A Cork city councillor has called for further transparency on spending thus far on the event centre, as figures reveal that 43% of the €1.6m paid out has been for legal services or fees.

Figures provided to Fine Gael councillor Shane O’Callaghan by the council’s chief financial officer, John Hallahan, showed that €1,604,551 was spent on the event centre between 2014 and 2024, and provided breakdowns as to where this money went.

An assessment of how much it would cost to construct the event centre was among the 51 payment figures provided, with €60,885 spent on this cost assessment in 2023.

In total, almost €700,000 was paid out for legal services or fees, with more than 20 payments to five different legal firms made over the course of the decade, ranging from €1,414 to €87,330.

Some €30,319 was spent between 2014 and 2018 on putting together a business case for the development, while €31,150 was paid out to consultants and just €738 was spent on public relations.

Just one of the payments was listed as going to BAM, €100,000 in 2016 for a contribution to Live Nation’s preliminary design.

Around €650,000 of the total amount spent was paid out in 2014 and 2015, with smaller sums spent annually afterwards.

The lowest amounts which were spent in 2024 were followed by 2018’s figures, though just over €211,360 was paid in 2023.

Mr O’Callaghan asked two supplementary questions at the meeting: If each of the payments had been signed off by the former council chief executive, Ann Doherty, and if the services which were provided and paid for were now “money down the drain” — now that the project was to be retendered.

It was suggested that he submit another written question for the next council meeting for detail on these supplementary questions.

Mr O’Callaghan told The Echo after the meeting that he would be doing so, saying: “They didn’t provide an answer to either of these questions.

“I think it was reasonable to query if the money was approved and if the services rendered in exchange for the money will be of any assistance to the future project.

“If the bulk of it is down the drain, that’s a massive waste of public money.

“I was very disappointed not to get a response to either of those questions, because we’re talking about a lot of money.

“I’m now planning to submit another question at the next council meeting asking for further details, including how much of the work done so far will be of use going forward, because we deserve to know that.”