Vol. 572 No. 1
78 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position in relation to the provision of a new national conference centre; if interest has been sought from the private sector for this project; the level of interest in the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22194/03]
In June last, the Government agreed in principle to the provision of a national conference centre by way of a leasing arrangement through an open competitive procurement process.
In accordance with the terms of the Government decision, I have established a high level steering group, comprising representatives of my Department, the Office of Public Works, Fáilte Ireland, and the Department of Finance, supported as necessary by professional expertise, to review the specification, including operational requirements, for a national conference centre, and to agree the parameters of a procurement process. The work of the steering group is ongoing and it is envisaged that a notice, seeking initial expressions of interest in the provision of a centre, will be published in the near future. The responses received will then be evaluated with a view to drawing up a short-list of applicants who will be invited to participate in a detailed tendering process.
