Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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51. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of her Department's funding contribution to a project (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19897/18]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The project to which the Deputy refers consists of a design, construction and operation of a new facility with a capacity of approximately 6,000 persons, capable of accommodating a range of events including concerts, festivals, family entertainments, cultural, sports, exhibitions, conferences and trade shows.

This is a public private partnership project led by the local authority. My Department has committed funding of €12m to the local authority, which is itself contributing €8m to the project. A Service Level Agreement is in place between my Department and the local authority setting out the terms and conditions of the grant of €12 million and to date, €1m has been paid to the local authority. Since the initial grant was allocated, the cost of the project has, however, increased significantly. As a result, the local authority has approached my Department seeking an additional contribution of €10m to the project.

My Department is analysing the application for additional funding while seeking to ensure prudent management of the grant. The project has significant procurement, state aid, legal and match funding complexities and the Department’s analysis aims to ensure that this flagship development is delivered in line with legal requirements and in accordance with the Public Spending Code.