2020 will ‘end in tears’, warns former mayor

City Councillor Pádraig Conneely (FG), chairman of the influential Arts and Culture Strategic Policy Committee, said he was concerned about the capability of the company set-up to deliver on its promise of a year-long series of cultural events.

Speaking at a City Council meeting, he said a recent recruitment process by Galway 2020 was “botched”, which highlighted management deficiencies within the company.

Cllr Conneely said he also had concerns about funding for the project.

“Galway 2020 was supposed to appoint a business manager, and he was to raise €7 million from the private sector. They botched that appointment. Every dog on the street knows that was botched.

“We’re putting up money, where’s the rest coming from . . . It was a botched appointment . . . where is the oversight and the accountability? There is no accountability and you know that . . . it will end in tears,” he fumed.

Cllr Conneely said he had very real fears that Galway County Council will not follow through on its funding commitments to Galway 2020. He claimed the City Council have paid out €2.65 million already, but the County Council has only paid €0.5m. “We ponied up, but the County Council won’t,” he said.

Chief Executive of the City Council Brendan McGrath said ECOC 2020 would be the best thing that ever happened to the city and county.

Galway would be representing Ireland on the European and international stage, and it would leave a lasting legacy.

There would be an increase of one million visitors to Galway in 2020 – 30% more than ‘normal years’.

Some 500,000 extra visitors would come here in the decade after 2020 as a direct result of the designation.

Galway 2020 had a budget of €45 million which was being pumped into arts and culture in the city and county.

Mr McGrath said he is on the board of the Galway 2020 company and Mayor Pearce Flannery is an ex officio member. He said Galway 2020 was a positive news story but added: “You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.”

He said the City Council has pledged €6 million to Galway 2020, €2.25m of which has already been drawn down. The balance of €3.75m would be paid between now and 2020.

Cllr Niall McNelis agreed with Cllr Conneely regarding accountability, and he asked that the Galway 2020 company should come before the City Council every quarter, as was promised soon after the designation was won by in July 2016.

This was agreed.