Cork Event Centre 'back at square one', Oireachtas committee told

The sod for the centre was turned at the former Beamish and Crawford site by then taoiseach Enda Kenny in February 2016. However, the project has been stalled since then. File picture: Larry Cummins

The Cork Event Centre is "literally back at square one", an Oireachtas committee has been told.

At the Oireachtas Housing Committee, Cork City Council assistant chief executive Brian Geaney said that the Government decision to re-tender the centre had led to a new competition and that several interested parties had been in contact.

The sod for the centre was turned at the former Beamish and Crawford site by then taoiseach Enda Kenny in February 2016. However, the project has been stalled since then. The venue is set to have 6,000 seats, and it could cost up to €150m.

At the committee, Mr Geaney told Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central, Seamus McGrath, that the project was "literally back at square one" but that he expects "substantial progress this year". However, Mr Geaney added that "the last thing this project needs is another false timeline" and that progress would depend on how the bids are assessed.

Council CEO Valerie O'Sullivan said "if we get the project right", it could "have a huge spinoff effect into attracting people and investment" into the city. 

She pointed to new bridges in the city, that the Marina Park project was "second to none" in Europe and that the northern end of Patrick Street will be "very different looking" this year.

Earlier, Sinn Féin's Thomas Gould said that Knocknaheeny's regeneration has taken over a decade and that non-housing elements such as a boxing centre of excellence have not been delivered. Mr Gould said the area does not have a playground since the lone facility was vandalised.

Mr Geaney told Mr Gould that the regeneration had evolved from a refurbishment project and that an affordable housing scheme would form part of the 245 homes still to be delivered in Knocknaheeny.

Ms O'Sullivan said Cork is "a growing, ambitious city" which saw population growth, inward migration, economic expansion and urban renewal combining "to place significant pressure on the housing system".

She said that the scale of public housing delivery in Cork City is "significant" and that the City Council is on course to exceed the Department of Housing’s affordable housing target of more than 378 homes by the end of 2026, "having been one of the first off the blocks nationally in affordable housing delivery".

• Paul Hosford is Deputy Political Editor