Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Specifically on value for money, I want to ask the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, about the planning permission notice that was put in the Irish Independenton 28 September by the Commissioners of Public Works to develop a science museum in Earlsfort Terrace, when there is a perfectly good Explorium in Sandyford that has been in receipt of PUP and EWSS but cannot reopen. It has had visits from over 30,000 children and 700 schools, with 250,000 visitors in its first year up to Covid. I cannot understand the budgetary management process. Was there a tendering process for any of that? Should there be a competitive tendering process? I have put in parliamentary questions on this, not just in September but back in June. I cannot understand the position of the Office of Public Works. I would be glad to hear the Minister of State's view.

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