Retendering of Cork event centre project described as 'utter farce'
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The retendering of the entire Cork event centre project has been branded “an utter farce” despite assurances from the Tánaiste that it can and will happen.
It follows revelations in the on Monday that the near €100m project, which had its sod turned in 2016 but where construction has yet to start, has to be retendered on legal advice almost a decade after the initial tender for state aid was awarded.
A Cabinet decision could be made as early as Tuesday.
It is understood the Attorney General has advised that the current funding model — where an additional €30m to €40m in State aid is required on top of the €57m already pledged — is so different to what was initially tendered that the State could be wide open to a potential legal challenge if it was to plough more money into the project. There are also concerns about state aid and procurement rules.
Despite the latest hurdle, Micheál Martin said: “I think it will happen and it can happen.
“But there are legal obstacles which Government can’t escape.
“And I think we have to be honest with people in terms of presenting the truth as it is.”
The controversial project has been dogged by delays and cost increases since its sod was turned by former taoiseach Enda Kenny weeks before the 2016 general election.
Now, just weeks before another general election, a memo based on fresh legal advice — which is ready to be brought forward by Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien for sign-off — says a truncated reprocurement process should happen to ensure the State does not fall foul of EU procurement laws.
Industry sources say a retendering process could take between a year and 18 months, but Government sources hope the process can be expedited.
However, the clock is ticking with planning permission for the proposed 6,000-capacity venue on the BAM-owned former Beamish and Crawford site on South Main St set to expire next March.
Mr Martin declined to discuss the retendering process in detail pending the Cabinet discussion, but he said there was always an understanding more funding would be required given the inflationary spiral post-covid and following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“So, there will be substantial more funding required from Government which Government will be prepared to support,” he said.
However, Labour councillor Peter Horgan criticised the latest delay.
“The expectations were that there would be finality, one way or the other, to the funding issues. So the main question now is where is our event centre?” he said.
Fine Gael senator Jerry Buttimer described this latest delay as “extraordinary and unacceptable”.
“It is hard to blame people for being cynical about this,” he said. “So many businesses are waiting for the green light on this project before they go ahead with their own plans.
"We need a genuine explanation in simple terms of what the problems are here now."
The former lord mayor of Cork, Mick Finn, described this latest setback as “an utter farce”.
“Starting from scratch again on a project that has taken a decade to get to this point is an absolute joke and proves that the Government’s supposed planning for Cork as a counter-balance to Dublin is just that — a plan without any substance,” he said.
"It’s not too late to do the right thing.
“We have plans and costings in place and a development team that will build and operate it.
"Provide the funding required for the current project which to me is the only game in town. If it goes back to tender, it will never happen."