Council defends Gavin garden costs

Cork City Council has defended its provision of funding for a project which will see an award-winning garden designed by Diarmuid Gavin installed in the city, amid disquiet over the cost to the taxpayer.

The Council has said that its contribution to funding the project - the final cost of which has been capped at €2.3m - represents a 'small outlay'.

Controversy has erupted over the Avatar-inspired 'sky garden' - recipient of the prestigious gold medal at this year's Chelsea Flower Show - amid reports of a dispute over costs between Gavin and Cork City Council.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar and Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney are reported to have intervened in an effort to resolve the disupute.

Today a spokesperson for Cork City Council said that the local authority are unable to determine a final cost at present as the sum will depend on unknown site costs.

Reports claim the bill for the publicly-funded garden has been capped at €2.3m, to be jointly shared by Failte Ireland and Cork City Council with the latter to pay €400,000, or 17%.

"The people who decided that this was worthy of sponsorship are Failte Ireland," said Valerie O'Sullivan, Director of Corporate Affairs, Cork City Council.

"It would be really remiss of the council not to piggyback on match funding.

"Surely the job of the local authority's job is to contribute to employment and to (contribute to) the tourist industry in this country, and for a small outlay that's exactly what we are going to do."

It is hoped that the garden, to be installed at a location in the city's Mardyke area, will become one of Cork's top tourist magnets.