Workers’ Party councillor Ted Tynan has described as disgraceful the recent comments of Minister Simon Coveney in relation to the delayed commencement of the Events Centre at the former Beamish & Crawford brewery site in Cork city.

Cllr. Ted Tynan

Councillor Ted Tynan

The Minister had been quoted as blaming the delayed commencement of work on the centre on the fact that “every stakeholder has been looking for the best terms for its shareholders”.

Cllr. Tynan said it was quite clear that the Fine Gael minister was putting the interests of big business speculators ahead of the ordinary people of Cork.  “The minister’s concern for speculators comes despite the fact that the state is putting up €20 million, or 40 per cent of the total cost of the private Events Centre, at a time when we have the worst housing crisis in the history of the state”
“I would like to know what involvement will the state have on the board of the company that is building the events centre?, and will the taxpayer get 40 per cent of the profits made by the centre?” asked Cllr. Tynan who said he seriously doubted that the state would ever see a return on its money which he described as a donation to the developers concerned.