Lucey defends Cork events centre selection process

Cork’s city manager has rejected criticism of the process being used to select the preferred developer of the city’s first multi-million euro events centre.

Tim Lucey was last night responding to criticism from Fine Gael councillor John Buttimer who complained that councillors — who will eventually sign off on the release of €6m of city council funds to the chosen developer — have had no input into the selection criteria which will be used to asses the projects bidding for a €16m kick-start fund to secure the project for Cork.

“If we’re [the city council] going to be spending €6m of public funds on this, we have to have some input into the factors to determine which one gets built,” Mr Buttimer said.