Galway 2020 leadership asked to answer councillors’ questions

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Galway 2020 leadership has been asked to explain to city councillors the contents of its annual report, published last week.

Fianna Fáil councillor Alan Cheevers invited Chair of the Board of Galway 2020, Arthur Lappin, and the company Chief Executive, Patricia Philbin, to go through the report in more detail at a City Council meeting.

“Galway 2020 has not had the easiest journey from the start but there are still questions to be answered. As the wind down of Galway 2020 comes to a conclusion, we need full transparency,” he said.

Cllr Cheevers has requested that Mayor of Galway, Cllr Colette Connolly (Ind) puts the Galway 2020 annual report for 2020 on its agenda.

The 62-page report was issued on Thursday last, and covers the period from January 2020 to April 2021.

It outlines that around €6.8m was spent by Galway 2020 on the European Capital of Culture project last year.

More than €1 million of that was spent on wages and almost €700,000 was spent on “promotional activities”, including “PR support and advertising” with a further €62,000 spent on communications.

The cost of “travel, hotels and entertainment” amounted to almost €150,000 last year, and €164,000 was spent on rent. Other costs included nearly €15,000 on legal fees and over €51,000 on consultancy and external advisors. Board expenses amounted to €14,868 in 2020.

(Photo: Arthur Lappin, chair of Galway 2020).

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