Cllr Kieran McCarthy, Event Centre Comments, Sunday 17 August 2014

I welcome the new tendering process for the event centre. The centre is a key piece of infrastructure that this city needs.

However no discussion has taken place with councillors on the new tendering process despite pleas for information over the last few weeks. It is also surprising to see that e.4m from Council funds has now been ‘Officially’ set aside for the eventual chosen site.  Up to now, tentative figures have been bounced around but nothing set in stone but now on the new tender document, a figure is set. No one has approached the elected members of Council to tell us this in person. I have had to read it in the press. As an elected member, this is a disgrace. One of our powers is to control and debate value for money for the Council’s expenditure.

The Lord Mayor needs to convene a special meeting to discuss the parameters of the councillors’ role in this the new tendering process. Spending e.4m of e.14m means that councillors ‘Now’ have a significant say in the choice of site. The event centre does not need to become a political football, which make no mistake about it is about to become. The new tendering process demands a transparent process where all sides, Councillors, City Hall officials, the external review committee and the proposed developers all know the parameters of the new process. The whole process will unravel again closer to decision time again if parameters are not set now.