Hanafin refuses to give costs of aquatic centre dispute

MINISTER for Sport Mary Hanafin has declined to comment on claims that the taxpayer faces legal costs of between €4 million and €7.5 million in the wake of the long-running National Aquatic Centre dispute.

Dublin Waterworld Ltd, former operator of the centre, was awarded costs by the Supreme Court after winning its appeal in a €10.2 million VAT case. Campus Stadium Ireland Development, the State company responsible for the centre, alleged that Dublin Waterworld owed the money on its lease interest in the aquatic centre.

Ms Hanafin told the Dáil that “the level of such costs has yet to be determined” and they would be met by the National Sports Campus Development Authority, which is funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

John O’Mahony (Fine Gael, Mayo) said there had been “various media reports suggesting the costs could be up to €4 million and some of my sources suggest they could be up to €7.5 million”. He asked if this meant the department would have to pay an extra subvention to the sports campus and if it would “impact on the amount of money available for sport in Ireland”.

“Does the Minister believe it is fair that the taxpayer has to pick up the tab for this case when all of the advice from the Attorney General and the Comptroller and Auditor General was that it would be lost?” Mr O’Mahony asked.

Ms Hanafin said “no agreement has been reached in regard to costs” and the campus legal advisers “are not able to predict what the cost claim is likely to be at this stage”. She added however that “if agreement is not reached on that, it obviously will be referred to the Taxing Master”.

But “whatever that figure is, the national sports campus will have to pay it”.

“As matters stand,” she added, “it is dependent on a subvention from the department and, although the aquatic centre is very successful and is the fourth most popular paid visitor attraction in the country, it still needs a subvention every year, as would every facility of its type internationally.”