Conference centre contractor to be unveiled

The firm that has won the contract to build Ireland’s long-awaited national conference centre will be announced tomorrow, it emerged tonight.

Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue is expected to unveil the successful tenderer tasked with overseeing the construction of the state facility, a Government source said.

Bids from the Anna Livia Consortium and the Spencer Dock International Conference Centre Consortium had been short-listed for the contract.

Opposition Tourism Minister Jimmy Deenihan tonight welcomed news of the announcement and said the conference centre will generate up to 60 million euro a year in extra visitor revenue.

He added: “It’s good news but it’s a long-running saga which has been going on since 1994.

“When the centre is up and running it will create 3,000 extra jobs and draw thousands of higher-spending businessmen and businesswomen.

“But the Government will have to introduce incentives to improve Ireland’s attractiveness as a conference location, like VAT relief on hotel bookings."