Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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123. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the decision-making process concerning the retendering of the Cork event centre project, with particular emphasis on five detailed aspects (details supplied). [3808/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Cork Event 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, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre.

To comply with the requirements of the infrastructure Guidelines, my Department requested a Final Business Case (FBC) from Cork City Council and following completion of the detailed design work on the proposed Events Centre, the Council submitted the FBC on 23 February 2024. Following review of the FBC, the procurement process and state aid considerations were identified as project-specific risks which needed to be addressed.

The Government decision of 22 October 2024 re-affirms commitment to and ongoing Exchequer funding support for an Events Centre in Cork City, given its strategic alignment with the growth ambition for Cork City, as set out in the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan. This commitment has been further supported, in the draft Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future – “Work towards the completion of the Cork Events Centre to enhance Cork’s cultural landscape and boost the city’s regeneration”.

The Government decision requires that the procurement process begins afresh and that a Project Development Board (PDB), led by Cork City Council, be established to expedite the process.

The decision further requires that a wholly separate engagement process with the preferred bidder under the previous tender process be undertaken, for the purposes of determining a fair and proportionate response to their involvement to date.

My Department wrote to Cork City Council on 31 October 2024 outlining details of the Government decision and the next steps required of the Council in order to begin formation of the PDB.

The first meeting of the PDB took place in January 2025, with a further meeting of the Board set for February 2025. In the interim, the Council is progressing with two workstreams, one to procure a project management delivery team and the other dealing with the separate engagement process with the preferred bidder under the previous procurement process, as required by the Government decision.

The PDB is required to report on progress to Government every three months from the date of the Government decision.