Ministers defend announcing €30m Páirc funding

Government ministers who helped secure the €30m Páirc Uí Chaoimh stadium grant have defended announcing the money before a detailed business plan was finalised.

Labour ministers of state Sean Sherlock and Kathleen Lynch insisted the Department of Public Expenditure’s concerns about Cork County Board’s business plan was a routine part of the examination of such large-scale projects which benefit from public funding.

But Fianna Fáil TD Michael McGrath said while he had no difficulty with a rigorous analysis of the business plan and its projections, he had concerns about the sequence of events.

“The issue is that when Government makes an announcement of funding, the impression is that the deal is done and that there won’t be any further difficulties in drawing down the money.

“I think from a procedural point of view, it’s always better to have the ‘i’s dotted and the ‘t’s crossed before announcements are made so that there isn’t any lingering risk to the funding being drawn down.”

The city’s deputy mayor, Ken O’Flynn, also criticised the timing of the announcement last May, a week before the local and European elections. “Cost-benefit analysis should have been carried out before the Government gave any commitment, instead of trying to buy a euro and local election.”

However, Mr Sherlock dismissed the criticism. “What matters is that the plan for the stadium is going ahead and this Government secured that funding.

“If local politicians want to be self-serving and criticise the investment, so be it.

“They’ll be the same fawners that will be front of the queue when it reopens.

“We have to work through these challenges with the GAA and get the job done.”

Ms Lynch, meanwhile, said the money will come on stream when the issues are resolved. She defended the County Board and said it put forward an “excellent plan”.

“We got a very detailed submission, I had a copy of it myself, in relation to what was necessary and what the plans were and it’s based on that type of submission that the Government commits.

“It is then up to the local authorities and the developers to sit down and work out the detail.”

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