Government won’t reveal legal advice on Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Junior Sports Minister Brendan Griffin this week declined to outline the legal advice his department received amid the furore over the County Board’s original decision to refuse a request to have the Liam Miller tribute match at the stadium.

The Irish Examiner previously revealed that the EU approval for the government grant of €30m towards the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh came with the condition that the stadium “will be open to various users on a non-discriminatory and transparent basis”.

In July 2016, the European Commission issued an 11-page decision in which it gave the opinion that it did not consider the €30m grant amounted to illegal State aid.

However, in its decision, the commission noted that the “stadium could be rented out to other field sports”, and under the terms and conditions for the use of the stadium, it said Páirc Uí Chaoimh “will be open to various users on a non-discriminatory and transparent basis”.

It further said that the Cork County Board “will rent out the Pairc Uí Chaoimh’s facilities to third parties to organise sporting and other commercial events”.

Senior politicians intervened amid the public outcry over the decision not to host the match at the stadium, with Mr Griffin confirming to this newspaper that officials from his department’s Sports Capital Unit were examining the terms of the grant.

While the GAA eventually reversed its decision, and the match is set to take place in Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Tuesday, the Government’s position on the wider issue of access to the stadium remains a mystery.

Documents released to this newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act confirm the terms of the grant were discussed among officials within the Department of Transport, Tourism, and Sport, and that legal advice on the grant was sought.

However, this legal advice was not released to the Irish Examiner, and the department refused to state its position when asked by this newspaper.

This week Cork East Labour TD Sean Sherlock submitted a parliamentary question on the matter to Mr Griffin, who again refused to state the Government’s position or reveal the legal advice it received.

“The advice to which the deputy refers was received from the department’s legal adviser who has stated that this advice is legally privileged and therefore cannot be divulged,” said Mr Griffin.

The decision by the GAA to facilitate the Liam Miller testimonial match in Páirc Uí Chaoimh was welcomed by both Minister Ross and myself. We appreciate that a practical solution was found which allows a significantly higher number of people to attend the event,” he said.

Meanwhile, gardaí will tomorrow hold a press briefing during which it is expected to outline the traffic management plan for the match.

All 45,000 tickets were snapped up by eager fans within two days of going on sale, making the tribute match the first sporting occasion to sell out Páirc Uí Chaoimh since its redevelopment, and the largest event to be held at the venue since Ed Sheeran’s three-night stint last May.

Proceeds from the match between a Manchester United XI and an Ireland/Celtic XI will go to Mr Miller’s family and Marymount Hospice.