Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys.

In the context of the Government's infrastructure and capital investment plan for the period 2016 to 2021, Building on Recovery, the Minister has allocated a grant of €12 million to Cork City Council towards the development of a multifunctional event centre in Cork city, the Cork event centre. The total project cost is estimated to be approximately €50 million and the centre will be built on the former Beamish and Crawford brewery site in the city centre. The grantee, Cork City Council, not the Department, is responsible for the management and delivery of the project. A service level agreement has been signed between the Department and the council which sets out the terms and conditions of the grant. Cork City Council undertook a competitive dialogue tender process in 2014 and a preferred bidder was selected, namely, Heineken BAM Consortium, for the construction of the centre and Live Nation limited as operator. Competitive dialogue is a procedure designed to provide more flexibility in the tendering process for more complex contracts. A competitive dialogue procedure was adopted in order to open a dialogue with suitable candidates to identify and define the means best suited to satisfying the council's needs.

I understand from Cork City Council that negotiations with the preferred bidder are at an advanced stage and that it expects construction to begin in 2016. It is estimated that up to 250 people will be employed in the construction and design stage. The objective of the grant is to facilitate the council in delivering the design, construction and operation of a new multi-functional event centre in Cork city centre, with a capacity of 6,000 persons. It is envisaged that the event centre will, inter alia, be capable of accommodating a range of events, including concerts, festivals, family entertainment, cultural, sports, exhibitions, conferences and trade shows.

The project supports the high levels goals of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, namely, to promote and develop Ireland's world-class artistic and creative strengths at home and abroad, maximising their societal, economic and reputational value for the economy and to support cultural tourism as one of the most important elements of Ireland's tourism product, thus stimulating job creation and economic regeneration. The Government appreciates the importance of the arts, culture and creative industries to our society and economy. As a nation, we have a distinctive tradition of storytelling, image-making and music which complements many fields of the arts. The arts are and always have been fundamental human enterprises. In understanding art we understand ourselves. The arts are central to cultural identity and our identity as a nation. Irish people have a deep affinity with the practice of the arts. Arts and culture are important in the strategy for marketing Ireland and economic growth. In some respects, our culture is our international calling card. The Cork event centre will play its part in attracting visitors and promoting cultural tourism on the island of Ireland. It will add significantly to the cultural infrastructure of Cork for the enjoyment of citizens and tourists alike.

The importance of the arts cannot be understated. They help to foster creativity and innovation. In Ireland we are conscious of the role of the arts and culture sector in providing vital opportunities for self-expression and participation. We are determined to do our best to provide the conditions in which creative expression can flourish and are committed to enhancing access to the arts for people of all ages and income levels. The grant provided for Cork City Council for the new Cork event centre is critical to the delivery of the new centre and will help to underpin and grow the already vibrant arts and culture sector in Cork and its surrounds.

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