Ms Katherine Licken:

That is true. I would not say there was a total absence of supervision. It was a very difficult project for all concerned. The Department, with Galway City Council, intervened at critical moments in the project. When Solas went out to contract without consulting with the Department, we refused to make any more payments to it until it came back with the business plan that involved bringing in private sector funding, which it subsequently did. Our own architect identified that project management was an issue with Solas. The Irish Film Board offered a project manager to Solas but it did not take up that offer. At various checkpoints, there were detailed submissions in the Department. We considered everything including stopping the project. We liaise very closely with Galway City Council and I acknowledge the work of the council. It works very closely with us. We agreed that Galway City Council would take over the project management.