Aquatic centre to cost €1.8m more

THE troubled National Aquatic Centre, left, will cost taxpayers another €1.8 million this year, it emerged yesterday.

Fine Gael Arts and Sports spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said she was “dumbstruck” by the size of the subsidy for a project bedeviled by controversy which has already taken €70 million in public funds.

“It is alarming to hear that now the NAC is operating again it is doing so at a massive loss of at least €1.8m,” she said.

“There has been a litany of disaster at the centre — the operating contract was a failure, the construction contract was a failure and now the financial operation is failing.

“This centre was supposed to be profit-making and €70m of taxpayers’ money was invested in its construction.

“An additional €600,000 has been expended on repairs after the roof was damaged by wind with several reports revealing serious structural problems at the facility,” she added.

Ms Mitchell insisted the centre could not be given a “blank cheque”.

“The facility is costing money.

“It is not performing as anticipated in part because it is a standalone facility whereas it was intended to be part of a major campus on which virtually no progress has been made over 11 years,” she said.

Sports Minister Seamus Brennan said he was “disappointed” the centre needed such a large subsidy.

But the minister expressed hope the facility would eventually break even as the centre has recorded 532,000 visits.

“I am disappointed that the centre requires a subsidy,” he said.

“I am strongly of the view that it should reach break even at the very least and that the taxpayer should not be required to provide ongoing current subsidies to it.

“It is one thing to invest the capital.

“It is another thing for the taxpayer to be drawn into day-to-day subsidies which unfortunately we have been to the tune of €1.8 million, which represents the loss in running the centre in 2007,” Mr Brennan told the Dáil.