There are serious questions to be answered in relation to the real cost of Galway City of Culture 2020, according to Sinn Féin Senator, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh.
Speaking today the Galway West – South Mayo Senator says:
“It was recently reported that the amount spent to date on the Galway 2020 bid was €1.5 million. Subsequently, in the City Council chamber an amount of €1.8 million was quoted. This wasn’t corrected at the time, or since. The €300,000 difference is a very significant amount of money. So which is it? €1.5 million or €1.8 million, or is it, as some observers who have contacted me suspect, a great deal more?
“City Council officials have been very secretive about the amount spent on the bid and repeated requests as to what the actual amount was have been deflected.
“By contrast, when we approached officials in Limerick and the Three Sisters (Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny), they immediately revealed the amounts spent on their respective bids, which in both cases were about a quarter of what Galway is supposed to have spent.
“Likewise, when we contacted officials in Rijeka (Croatia) – also a 2020 recipient – about its spend we were told that it had a budget of €390,000 but only spent €258,000 on the bid. The Serbian city of Novi Sad, which will have similar designation in 2021, spent €169,000. An average figure of about €300,000 seems to be the norm for Capital of Culture bids. So Galway’s disclosed spend is five times the average outlay.
“There are also many questions to be answered regarding the breakdown of the disclosed €1.5 million spend. A payroll cost of more than €260,000, more than the entire Croatian bid, is explained as arising from council staff being seconded from other sections. Were they not already on the books? Were there any non-council personnel employed to work on the bid? If so, what was the recruitment procedure? Were those jobs openly advertised?
“Why was it necessary to rent office space to house the bid team? Both Limerick and the Three Sisters used existing council office space for this purpose. Why could Galway not have done the same?
“Galway City Council claims that the amount spent on the project to date will be covered by a €1.5 million prize from the European Commission for winning the bid. But there is an element of uncertainty surrounding this according to the European Commission. It is not a given that this prize will actually be awarded and officials in Brussels have confirmed that there have been instances in the past where the prize has been refused. If this happens to Galway what are the implications?
“All of these are questions of real public interest and from the public’s perspective it looks like Galway City and County councils gave a blank cheque with no questions asked in pursuit of this designation.
“Sinn Féin welcomes the fact that Galway will be designated European Capital of Culture for 2020 and our councillors in the City and County have supported the bid in principle. Raising these questions is not designed to rain on anyone’s parade, but it is giving voice to genuine concerns that are being raised with me.
“All through this process there has been a lack of transparency. The real challenge now facing the organisers is that this designation leaves a lasting, sustainable cultural legacy throughout the entire county. And practitioners are telling me that they doubt whether this will be achieved”.
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Tá ceisteanna tromchúiseacha le freagairt maidir leis an bhfíor-chostas a bhaineann le Gaillimh mar Chathair Chultúrtha i 2020, dar le Seanadóir Shinn Féin, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh.
Ag labhairt dó inniu deir Seanadóir Ghaillimh Thiar – Maigh Eo Theas:
“Tuairiscíodh le déanaí gur caitheadh €1.5 milliún ar iarratas Ghaillimh 2020 go dáta. Ina dhiaidh sin ag cruinniú don Comhairle Cathrach luadh figiúir do €1.8 milliún. Níor ceartaíodh seo ag an am, ná ó shoin. Is méid suntasach é an €300,000 de dhifríocht atá i gceist anseo. Mar sin, cé acu atá ceart, €1.5 milliún, nó €1.8 milliún, nó an bhfuil an fíor fhigiúir, mar a cheapann roinnt daoine atá ag faire ar an bproiséas seo, i bhfad níos mó ná sin?
“Tá feidhmeannaigh na Comhairle Cathrach iontach seachantach maidir leis an méid a caitheadh ar ullmhú an iarratas agus cuireadh cuid mhaith éilimh chuig an gcomhairle ar eolas cruinn faoi na figiúirí ó dhoras.
“A mhalairt ar fad de cur chuige a bhí ann nuair a lorgaíodh eolas ó oifigigh i Luimneach agus ó na Triúr Deirfiúracha (Port Lairge, Ceatharlach, Cill Chainnnigh), thugadar sin eolas láithreach maidir leis an méid a caitheadh ar iarratais iadsan, áit nár caitheadh ach aon cheathrú den mhéid a caitheadh ar iarratas na Gaillimhe.
“Mar a chéile nuair a chuamar i dteagmháil le h-oifigigh i Rijeka (An Chróit) – a bhfuil aitheantas 2020 faighte acu – maidir lena gcaiteachas siúd dúradh linn go raibh buiséad de €390,000 acu ach nár chaith siad ach €258,000 ar an iarratas. Chaith cathair Novi Sad na Seirbia, an mbeidh a mhacasamhail d’aitheantas acu i 2021, €169,000 ar iarratas iadsan. Is cosúil gur thart ar €300,000 a chaitear ar an meán ar iarratais ar aitheantas mar Chathair Chultúrtha a bhaint amach. Tá an caiteachas atá nochtaithe maidir le h-iarratas na Gaillimhe a chúig oiread sin.
“Tá cuid mhaith ceisteanna ann maidir leis an mbriseadh síos ar an gcaiteachas €1.5 milliún atá nochtaithe freisin. Tá costas párolla de €260,000 luaite, níos mó ná costas iomlán iarratas na Cróite, agus deirtear gur tógadh baill fóirne ar iasacht ó na h-údaráis áitiúla chuige. Cén fáth nach raibh a bpá siúd clúdaithe cheana féin? An raibh mórán daoine eile fostaithe chun oibriú ar an iarratas? Má bhí, cén proiséas earcaíochta a bhí in úsáid? An raibh na posatanna seo fógraithe go h-oscailte?
“Cén fáth an raibh gá spás oifige a thógáil ar chíos d’fhoireann an iarratais? D’úsáid muintir Luimnigh agus na Triúr Deirfiúracha oifigí a bhí acu cheana féin sna comhairlí chontae don obair seo. Cén fáth nach ndearna Gaillimh an rud céanna?
“Maíonn Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe go mbeidh an caiteachas go dáta clúdaithe ag duais de luach €1.5 milliún ón gCoimisiún Eorpach a bhronnfar mar thoradh ar an aitheantas a bhaint amach. Ach, ta beagán míchinnteacht ag baint leis seo dar le Coimisiún na hEorpa, atá tareis dearbhú go raibh cásanna ann san aimisr a caitheadh nár bronnadh an duais seo. Má tharlaíonn seo i gcás na Gaillimhe cé na h-impleachtaí a bheidh ansin?
“Tá suim faoi leith ag an bpobal sna ceisteanna seo agus ó dhearcadh an phobail tá an chosúlacht air an sceal gur thug Comhairlí Chontae & Cathrach na Gaillimhe seic glan uathu gan ceisteanna a chuir agus iad ar thóir an t-aitheantas seo.
“Fáiltíonn Sinn Féin roimh bhronnadh aitheantas Chathair Cultúrtha na hEorpa 2020 ar Ghaillimh agus thacaigh comhairleoirí chontae agus cathrach s’againne leis an iarratas i bprionsabal. Ní le h-uisce fuar a dhóirteadh ar chúrsaí atá mé ag ardú na ceisteanna seo, ach le glór a thabhairt don imní dáiríre atá dhá ardú liom faoi na gnóthaí seo atáim.
“Bhí easpa trédhearcachta ag baint leis an bproiséas seo ar fad, dar liom. An dushlán mhór atá anois ann náa chun cinntiú go bhfágann an t-aitheantas lorg fadtréimhseach, inmharthanach oidhreacht chultúrtha ar fud an chontae. Tá lucht ealaíona agus cultúrtha ag rá liom go bhfuil siad iontach amhrasach gur amhlaidh a bheidh”.
Speaking today the Galway West – South Mayo Senator says:
“It was recently reported that the amount spent to date on the Galway 2020 bid was €1.5 million. Subsequently, in the City Council chamber an amount of €1.8 million was quoted. This wasn’t corrected at the time, or since. The €300,000 difference is a very significant amount of money. So which is it? €1.5 million or €1.8 million, or is it, as some observers who have contacted me suspect, a great deal more?
“City Council officials have been very secretive about the amount spent on the bid and repeated requests as to what the actual amount was have been deflected.
“By contrast, when we approached officials in Limerick and the Three Sisters (Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny), they immediately revealed the amounts spent on their respective bids, which in both cases were about a quarter of what Galway is supposed to have spent.
“Likewise, when we contacted officials in Rijeka (Croatia) – also a 2020 recipient – about its spend we were told that it had a budget of €390,000 but only spent €258,000 on the bid. The Serbian city of Novi Sad, which will have similar designation in 2021, spent €169,000. An average figure of about €300,000 seems to be the norm for Capital of Culture bids. So Galway’s disclosed spend is five times the average outlay.
“There are also many questions to be answered regarding the breakdown of the disclosed €1.5 million spend. A payroll cost of more than €260,000, more than the entire Croatian bid, is explained as arising from council staff being seconded from other sections. Were they not already on the books? Were there any non-council personnel employed to work on the bid? If so, what was the recruitment procedure? Were those jobs openly advertised?
“Why was it necessary to rent office space to house the bid team? Both Limerick and the Three Sisters used existing council office space for this purpose. Why could Galway not have done the same?
“Galway City Council claims that the amount spent on the project to date will be covered by a €1.5 million prize from the European Commission for winning the bid. But there is an element of uncertainty surrounding this according to the European Commission. It is not a given that this prize will actually be awarded and officials in Brussels have confirmed that there have been instances in the past where the prize has been refused. If this happens to Galway what are the implications?
“All of these are questions of real public interest and from the public’s perspective it looks like Galway City and County councils gave a blank cheque with no questions asked in pursuit of this designation.
“Sinn Féin welcomes the fact that Galway will be designated European Capital of Culture for 2020 and our councillors in the City and County have supported the bid in principle. Raising these questions is not designed to rain on anyone’s parade, but it is giving voice to genuine concerns that are being raised with me.
“All through this process there has been a lack of transparency. The real challenge now facing the organisers is that this designation leaves a lasting, sustainable cultural legacy throughout the entire county. And practitioners are telling me that they doubt whether this will be achieved”.
___________________
Tá ceisteanna tromchúiseacha le freagairt maidir leis an bhfíor-chostas a bhaineann le Gaillimh mar Chathair Chultúrtha i 2020, dar le Seanadóir Shinn Féin, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh.
Ag labhairt dó inniu deir Seanadóir Ghaillimh Thiar – Maigh Eo Theas:
“Tuairiscíodh le déanaí gur caitheadh €1.5 milliún ar iarratas Ghaillimh 2020 go dáta. Ina dhiaidh sin ag cruinniú don Comhairle Cathrach luadh figiúir do €1.8 milliún. Níor ceartaíodh seo ag an am, ná ó shoin. Is méid suntasach é an €300,000 de dhifríocht atá i gceist anseo. Mar sin, cé acu atá ceart, €1.5 milliún, nó €1.8 milliún, nó an bhfuil an fíor fhigiúir, mar a cheapann roinnt daoine atá ag faire ar an bproiséas seo, i bhfad níos mó ná sin?
“Tá feidhmeannaigh na Comhairle Cathrach iontach seachantach maidir leis an méid a caitheadh ar ullmhú an iarratas agus cuireadh cuid mhaith éilimh chuig an gcomhairle ar eolas cruinn faoi na figiúirí ó dhoras.
“A mhalairt ar fad de cur chuige a bhí ann nuair a lorgaíodh eolas ó oifigigh i Luimneach agus ó na Triúr Deirfiúracha (Port Lairge, Ceatharlach, Cill Chainnnigh), thugadar sin eolas láithreach maidir leis an méid a caitheadh ar iarratais iadsan, áit nár caitheadh ach aon cheathrú den mhéid a caitheadh ar iarratas na Gaillimhe.
“Mar a chéile nuair a chuamar i dteagmháil le h-oifigigh i Rijeka (An Chróit) – a bhfuil aitheantas 2020 faighte acu – maidir lena gcaiteachas siúd dúradh linn go raibh buiséad de €390,000 acu ach nár chaith siad ach €258,000 ar an iarratas. Chaith cathair Novi Sad na Seirbia, an mbeidh a mhacasamhail d’aitheantas acu i 2021, €169,000 ar iarratas iadsan. Is cosúil gur thart ar €300,000 a chaitear ar an meán ar iarratais ar aitheantas mar Chathair Chultúrtha a bhaint amach. Tá an caiteachas atá nochtaithe maidir le h-iarratas na Gaillimhe a chúig oiread sin.
“Tá cuid mhaith ceisteanna ann maidir leis an mbriseadh síos ar an gcaiteachas €1.5 milliún atá nochtaithe freisin. Tá costas párolla de €260,000 luaite, níos mó ná costas iomlán iarratas na Cróite, agus deirtear gur tógadh baill fóirne ar iasacht ó na h-údaráis áitiúla chuige. Cén fáth nach raibh a bpá siúd clúdaithe cheana féin? An raibh mórán daoine eile fostaithe chun oibriú ar an iarratas? Má bhí, cén proiséas earcaíochta a bhí in úsáid? An raibh na posatanna seo fógraithe go h-oscailte?
“Cén fáth an raibh gá spás oifige a thógáil ar chíos d’fhoireann an iarratais? D’úsáid muintir Luimnigh agus na Triúr Deirfiúracha oifigí a bhí acu cheana féin sna comhairlí chontae don obair seo. Cén fáth nach ndearna Gaillimh an rud céanna?
“Maíonn Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe go mbeidh an caiteachas go dáta clúdaithe ag duais de luach €1.5 milliún ón gCoimisiún Eorpach a bhronnfar mar thoradh ar an aitheantas a bhaint amach. Ach, ta beagán míchinnteacht ag baint leis seo dar le Coimisiún na hEorpa, atá tareis dearbhú go raibh cásanna ann san aimisr a caitheadh nár bronnadh an duais seo. Má tharlaíonn seo i gcás na Gaillimhe cé na h-impleachtaí a bheidh ansin?
“Tá suim faoi leith ag an bpobal sna ceisteanna seo agus ó dhearcadh an phobail tá an chosúlacht air an sceal gur thug Comhairlí Chontae & Cathrach na Gaillimhe seic glan uathu gan ceisteanna a chuir agus iad ar thóir an t-aitheantas seo.
“Fáiltíonn Sinn Féin roimh bhronnadh aitheantas Chathair Cultúrtha na hEorpa 2020 ar Ghaillimh agus thacaigh comhairleoirí chontae agus cathrach s’againne leis an iarratas i bprionsabal. Ní le h-uisce fuar a dhóirteadh ar chúrsaí atá mé ag ardú na ceisteanna seo, ach le glór a thabhairt don imní dáiríre atá dhá ardú liom faoi na gnóthaí seo atáim.
“Bhí easpa trédhearcachta ag baint leis an bproiséas seo ar fad, dar liom. An dushlán mhór atá anois ann náa chun cinntiú go bhfágann an t-aitheantas lorg fadtréimhseach, inmharthanach oidhreacht chultúrtha ar fud an chontae. Tá lucht ealaíona agus cultúrtha ag rá liom go bhfuil siad iontach amhrasach gur amhlaidh a bheidh”.
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