Cork events centre uncertainty drags on

The uncertainty over the Cork events centre is set to drag on after senior city officials last night refused to answer questions on the status of the tender process.

During a heated city council meeting, councillors slated the acting chief executive, Dan Buggy, when he said he could not shed any light on a process which appears to be in limbo.

Cllr Des Cahill (FG) summed up councillors’ feelings when he compared the situation to the Garth Brooks debacle in Dublin.

Members forced the suspension of the council for a private meeting with Mr Buggy and city officials engaged in the tender process.

But 40 minutes later, the council meeting resumed with an agreement that members would be briefed on the status of the process on July 28.

The process is in limbo after entertainment giant Live Nation Ireland withdrew from the tender process at the last minute.

It meant just one bidder, BAM/Heineken Ireland, submitted a tender before the deadline. There are now question marks over the validity of that tender as an operator is not on board.

Mr Buggy last night said the matters involved are complex and ongoing. He insisted he would be making no further comment, either in public or in private, about the matter, to protect the integrity of the process.

Under pressure and in the face of stinging criticism, Mr Buggy said he has not been involved in the process, and had not asked for a report from those overseeing the process.

“As soon as I get that report, I will advise council on the outcome of the process,” he said.

Cllr Terry Shannon (FF) and Cllr John Buttimer (FG) led calls for clarification before the council breaks for seven weeks.

Mr Shannon said as directors of the city, councillors are entitled to information about such an important project.

Cllr Stephen Cunningham (SF) said councillors were asking simple questions and deserved simple answers. “I have no confidence in the process when we are being met with a wall of bureaucracy,” he said.

Cllr Laura McGonigle (FG) slammed management’s “absolute disregard” for councillors as an abomination.

Cllr Tom Gould (SF) criticised Mr Buggy and said he should be fully briefed on the status of this process.

The Irish Examiner first reported that Live Nation Ireland pulled out because of “significant concerns” over funding agreements and penalty clauses.

It said, following legal advice, it was advised that neither bidder — O’Callaghan Properties, which has planning for a €50m venue on Albert Quay, or BAM/ Heineken Ireland, which has planning for a similar venue on the former Beamish and Crawford site — was likely to be in a position to submit a compliant bid by the tender deadline.

Both developers are vying for up to €16m of public funding as part of a tender process being overseen by consultants PwC.

Live Nation, however, insists that it is committed to operating an events centre in Cork. “We believe that the right venue at the right time could be a vibrant and commercial operation if due care is taken in the commissioning of the venue to ensure that it is designed in a manner that maximises its potential,” Live Nation boss Mike Adamson has said.