Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I know this is an ongoing issue. I am very heavily involved in it myself. You could not avoid being involved if you are from that area. I can tell the witnesses that the community around Castletown - I know this is a national site but it is used most by local communities - feels very badly let down. The sanction for the lack of foresight is at the door of the Department. I am going to leave that issue; I might come back to it in a few minutes.

I want to deal with the national science centre in the Iveagh Gardens. Mr. Conlon describes it in his opening statement as the National Concert Hall complex, but I suspect people nearby see it as the Iveagh grounds or the Iveagh Gardens and probably would describe it as such. That project started out, from looking at the financial situation, with an estimated cost of €7 million. It was €15 million in total, of which €8 million would come from AIB. Then, in 2017, the cost was €29 million. In 2018, it was €40 million. In 2022, it was €47 million. In 2024, the estimate is €50 million. Is this kind of money included in the national development plan, and what Department is involved?