National science centre an ‘unmitigated disaster’, committee told

By Bairbre Holmes, PA

The development of a national science centre has been an “absolutely unmitigated disaster” and an “omnishambles”, a committee has heard.

Fianna Fáil’s Seamus McGrath said “there’s been a catalogue of mismanagement, of failed governance, of failed oversight, of failed proper procedures in relation to this project”.

Sinn Féin’s Joanna Byrne said it has been “an omnishambles from beginning to end”.

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The Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) heard on Thursday that more than four million euro of public money has been spent over 22 years on the project, which Mr McGrath said “may or may never happen”.

The figure includes around a million euro in legal costs which arose because of two separate arbitration processes incurred by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in relation to the project.

The estimated cost of the project has risen from €14.3 million in 2003 to more than €70 million in 2024, which does not include the value of the site.

A national science and technology museum was first proposed in 2000, and the OPW first entered into an agreement with a charity called the Irish Children’s Museum Ltd (ICML) to provide premises for a science centre in 2003.

Initially, it was due to be constructed on a site owned by the OPW in Kilmainham, near Heuston railway station in Dublin.

In February 2007, then Taoiseach Bertie Ahearn unveiled the architectural design for the science centre, but the project stalled during the economic crash.

In 2013, ICML indicated it would start an arbitration process in a bid to compel the OPW to fulfil its contractual obligations under the 2003 agreement.

The lease for the Kilmainham site was terminated and a new agreement was reached for a building on an OPW-owned site at Earlsfort Terrace, beside the National Concert Hall, in Dublin.

Ireland is the only OECD country without a national science centre for children. That is the vision for the NCSC - to inspire young minds with the wonder of Stem

Since then little progress has been made. In 2021, ICML began arbitration proceedings against the OPW again.

On Thursday, the PAC heard a timeline for the project should become available when that process finalises in the next few weeks.

However no Government department has sought funding for the project and OPW chairman John Conlon said: “It is not a priority of any other sponsoring department who were previously involved in this, so that remains a fundamental issue.”

As part of the 2013 arbitration agreement, ICML has had access to two offices, for free, in the Earlsfort Terrace site, but the rest of the 9,580sq metre building remains empty.

Mr Conlon described ICML as a charity which is “self-financed from philanthropy” which promotes Stem education.

In a statement, the board of the Irish Children’s Museum Ltd, trading as the National Children’s Science Centre, said: “Ireland is the only OECD country without a national science centre for children.

“That is the vision for the NCSC – to inspire young minds with the wonder of Stem.

“The board has consistently sought to proactively and collaboratively engage with the OPW, various government departments and successive governments in order to identify a sponsoring department.

“The provision of a national science centre for children in Ireland aligns wholly with government policy to increase interest in Stem education and careers, generally and particularly amongst girls and women, and to invest in infrastructure that supports education, innovation and long-term national development.

“As a board, we have committed to raising 25 million euros as part of a comprehensive philanthropic programme to support the NCSC, and to co-operating with government on its requirements to get this much needed science centre for children up and running.”