Cork City Council urged to ‘drop veil of secrecy’ over garden costs
Worker’s Party councillor Ted Tynan, who has described the garden’s signature pod as like the “chassis of an old tractor”, spoke out after Cork City Council refused a Freedom of Information (FoI) request from this newspaper to release documents relating to the project.
The FoI request was made on June 7 following controversy about the cost to the taxpayer of the Chelsea Flower Show gold medal-winning garden, along with stinging criticism from Mr Gavin about how the council handled the project in the run-up to the flower show.
The council sought an extension of time to deal with the FoI request but decided last week against releasing any documents, citing various parts of Sections 20, 21, and 27 of the FoI legislation, including:
nGranting of the request would be contrary to the public interest.
nIts disclosure could prejudice the conduct or outcome of contractual or other negotiations of the person to whom the information relates.
It is understood the council is still engaged with Mr Gavin as its works towards finding a permanent home for the garden. The pod, which has been in storage in the city’s Showgrounds since June, could remain in storage for up to a year.
However, Mr Tynan described the council’s refusal to release the documents as an attempt to conceal the facts. And he described the council’s claim that disclosing details would be against the public interest as “spurious and furtive”.
“Of course, it is in the public interest for the city manager to tell the Irish Examiner and the people of Cork how much was spent on this piece of frivolity and what deal was entered into with Mr Gavin and others,” Mr Tynan said.
“It was funded from public money at a time when that commodity is in very short supply. People have a right to know.
“Cork City Council is currently imposing vicious cutbacks in its services.
“It has reduced its workforce significantly and is handing over vital services to the private sector because of a shortage of funding.
“For the council to spend hundreds of thousands of euro on a glorified articulated trailer and then attempt to conceal the details of its contract with the supplier of this item is completely unacceptable.
The council has declined to comment further on its decision to refuse the FoI request.
Fáilte Ireland is covering 83% of the estimated €2.3m cost of the garden.
