Mr. John McMahon:

We only received final confirmation that there was a green light for the visit in the middle of the year, although we were preparing for it in advance. It was a huge logistical exercise, involving dozens of contractors, all procured under frameworks and in accordance with the rules and regulations. We also deployed much of our direct labour force. We had set-ups in ten areas, not just the Phoenix Park, although the one there was by far the biggest. We also had set-ups at Dublin Airport, Áras an Uachtaráin, the Dublin Castle State Apartments, along the papal city route, at St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral, the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People, Knock airport, Knock, Knock Shrine, as well as the three media centre set-ups. It was an enormous logistical exercise and from a management perspective we were delighted with the outcome and how it went. There were no incidents or accidents. It should be said, with reference to the previous papal mass in 1979 and the one this year, that health and safety represent a far more prevalent requirement now than it might have been in 1979. It required many onerous but necessary actions by us.

I will not go through the process of how we got to it as the committee is interested in the cost. The cost of which we are absolutely sure, in other words, what has already been paid, is €16.5 million. There is a further expense of approximately €800,000, of which the biggest element is the cost of meeting the condition of Dublin City Council which allowed us to take down the Phoenix Park gates. We took down most but not all of the park gates for health and safety reasons and to allow people in and out. The condition was that we would refurbish them and put them back up. In fact, they were taken down in 1979 and put back up again. They were taken down again in 2018. They are the old historical metal gates in the park which have huge heritage value.

The cost of refurbishing them has not yet been quantified. We have an idea, but we do not know the precise cost.