Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Cork Events Centre was included as a Government commitment under the revised National Development Plan in 2021. This underlines the Government’s support for urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre.

It was agreed by Government in the context of Budget 2020 that responsibility for making the grant funding available for the project would transfer to my Department. However, responsibility for the advancement of the project remains, in the first instance, a matter for Cork City Council.

Following completion of the detailed design of the Events Centre in the Autumn of 2023, Cork City Council, at the request of my Department, undertook a cost verification check on the final design and costing. This process is now complete and Cork City Council have submitted a number of documents in the last 6 weeks which are being reviewed by my Department and there is ongoing engagement in that regard with the Council.

In order to maintain the integrity of the decision making process, it is not my intention to release and/or publish the documents which have been submitted to date by Cork City Council. I expect that a decision on the Events Centre could be made in Q1 of 2024 but this is ultimately a matter for Government.