Government to demand Cork event centre goes back out to tender
Taoiseach On The Cork Enda Kenny Sod File The Picture: daragh Centre Mcsweeney/provision Turning Event
The Government is to demand that the long-delayed Cork event centre goes back out to tender before any more State funding is provided.
A memo ready to go to Cabinet says the project now needs to be retendered, representing a further blow to the controversial project which has been dogged by price overruns and delays.
The three coalition leaders are expected to discuss the matter when they meet on Monday with the decision likely to go to Cabinet as early as Tuesday.
However, some within the coalition have suggested that Fine Gael is stalling the memo from coming before Cabinet because it would remind the public that former taoiseach Enda Kenny turned the sod in 2016 ahead of a general election when the project was not ready to start.
This has been strongly denied by sources close to Simon Harris.
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Initially, €20m of public funding to help support the development of the former Beamish and Crawford land on South Main St was pledged, but that has increased over the years to €57m.
It is understood an additional €30 to €40m is now required.
A decision on the additional funding requirement was expected before the Dáil summer recess but that never happened.
A memo based on fresh legal advice, which is now ready to be brought forward by Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien for sign-off, says a truncated re-procurement process should happen to ensure the State does not fall foul of EU procurement laws.
It is unclear how long the process of retendering would take, but government sources are hopeful that it can be expedited.
While coalition sources suggest that Fine Gael had been pushing to progress the event centre when Cork TD Simon Coveney was a minister, some believe there is now reluctance within the party to deal with the issue.
"Fine Gael is allergic to this because of Enda Kenny turning the sod," one senior coalition source said, adding that it is a "sensitive" issue for Fine Gael.
But one senior minister said there is still strong support for the development, adding: "It's a hole in the ground in the middle of Cork, so it needs to proceed, there are a lot of benefits to the project."
While the development would have to go back out to tender, one Government source said: "The reality is there are very few in Ireland that can do this type of specialised project other than BAM."
In a statement, a spokesperson for BAM said the company is awaiting the Government's decision.
"The planning and design stages have been completed and a submission on the venue was made by Cork City Council to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
"BAM’s and Live Nation Gaiety’s commitment to deliver a world-class, versatile venue to Cork remains absolute."