Cabinet approves detailed business case for Cork Event Centre as council gets green light to proceed with tendering 

In 2016, then taoiseach Enda Kenny turned the sod on the development at the proposed Beamish and Crawford site. At the time, the centre was due to host concerts and conferences by 2018. File picture: Chani Anderson

Ensuring value for money will be a key consideration in the Cork Event Centre after the project received the green light to proceed to tendering.

Cabinet has approved a detailed business case for the centre, which has been described as a vital infrastructural project to help safeguard the future of the city centre, but which has been hampered by setbacks and controversy.

Ministers have also given Cork City Council approval to proceed to tendering, which is expected to happen in the coming month.

Welcoming the development, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Cabinet's approval represents "a very significant, welcome step, and the processes and procedures are all going according to plan".

A technical brief has now been finalised and will be issued along with relevant tender documents.

It is now expected that successful tenderer will have to provide at least 50% of the capital funding for the events centre, while operation, maintenance, and lifecycle costs will continue to be met entirely by the successful tenderer.

Brian Geaney, the Assistance Chief Executive of Cork City Council, and chairperson of the Cork Events Centre Project Development Board said the tendering of the project, through a competitive dialogue procurement process, will now begin shortly to identify a preferred bidder.

“Among the matters to be determined through that procurement process will be the level of state aid required for completion of the project, and the terms and conditions that will be attached to the provision of that aid.

He added: "I can provide assurance that protecting the State investment and ensuring value for money will obviously be key considerations.”

The 6,000-capacity events centre was first promised back in 2014 when a tender for €20 million of State aid was awarded to Bam Property and Live Nation.

In 2016, then taoiseach Enda Kenny turned the sod on the development which at the time was on track to host concerts and conferences by 2018.