Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Perhaps we will address the fact that it is the only cultural institution outside of Dublin in the future and can examine how to make sure there are other national institutions outside of Dublin rather than concentrate all of them in one city. Costs have increased substantially. The gallery renovation will add an extra 50% in terms of space for exhibitions and so on. A lot of work will be done to make the gallery accessible in the future. Even a 40% increase in construction inflation would only bring the cost to €40 million.

What exactly are the changes in the design or refurbishment that brought about such a substantial jump? It is a good investment and I have absolutely no problem with the figure. However, when a project is announced with a particular cost, the public starts to believe that is the amount it will cost until, all of a sudden, a new figure is announced. This makes us, as politicians, look a bit stupid.

See this speech in context