Children's Science Museum Project Halted After €4.2M Spend, No Cost-Benefit Analysis
The Department of Public Expenditure has halted a long-standing project for a children's science museum due to the absence of a cost-benefit analysis. The project, initially proposed in the 1990s, has seen significant delays and costs, with the State already incurring over €4.2 million, including €563,000 in legal fees. The Office of Public Works (OPW) has faced criticism from the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) for its role in the project, which could potentially cost the State over €70 million.
The project began with an agreement between the OPW and Irish Children's Museum Limited (ICML) to build a 'world class children's science museum' without direct exchequer funding. The original lease proposed a €14.3 million museum at Heuston Gate, with a developer building it at no financial cost to the taxpayer. However, market conditions for interactive children's facilities have changed over time, with some similar attractions opening and closing, indicating challenges in sustaining such ventures.
In 2013, a new lease agreement proposed a larger facility adjoining the National Concert Hall, with an estimated cost of €36.4 million. The C&AG concluded that the OPW should not have entered a formal commitment for the science center and did not have the authority to agree to the lease without specific Department of Finance sanction. The protracted delays led to the OPW seeking to exit its contract after the construction sector collapse around 2008, but it was legally obligated to deliver the center.
The project's future remains uncertain, with the Department of Public Expenditure halting it due to the lack of a cost-benefit analysis. The State has already incurred significant costs, and the project poses a risk of a State aid challenge due to the presence of Explorium, a privately funded interactive science center in Dublin. The person responsible for the project is not explicitly named in the provided search results.
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