This weekend the Social Democrats will hold our party conference in Cork, which is a city starved of Government investment. The people of Cork have been long promised light rail but not a single penny has been provided under the new transport plan. However, that is not the only broken promise. We have no BusConnects; no new dental school; no business school; no safe injection facility; no new homeless hub; and no new library. The most notorious example is the failure to build the Cork events centre. Ten years ago, in the dying days of a general election campaign, the Tánaiste’s former party leader and then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, flanked by other Fine Gael and Labour Party Ministers, turned the sod on the project. It was a nice photo op but nothing more. The press release from the developer, BAM, said that a 6,000-capacity multi-purpose venue would be built within two years. A decade on, the only thing the people of Cork have been left with is a large derelict site in the city centre. It is nothing more than an eyesore with a new bridge to nowhere. Next week marks a decade since the sod was turned. To mark the tenth anniversary, I will host an event where the events centre should be. I would love to see the Tánaiste there and I would love to hear what he has to say to the people of Cork about the Government’s failure to deliver on these key infrastructure projects for our city.

The Deputy mentioned the "bridge to nowhere". I remember Sarah Palin using that phrase. When Barack Obama rang Sarah Palin when she was chosen as a vice presidential candidate, he wished her luck but not too much. I wish the Deputy good luck with his party's conference this weekend in Cork. I would push back on the idea that we have not invested in Cork. There has been €400 million in URDF funding for Cork alone.

It was not used.

I have long made the point that we need to see a Cork city task force. When I was Taoiseach we set one up for Dublin and we are seeing the benefits of that. I think Cork should follow that lead. It is also a commitment in the programme for Government. I have raised it with the Lord Mayor of Cork and the Cork city chief executive. I am due to visit shortly. I will get the Deputy a specific update on the events centre in advance of his gathering, I hope. In fairness to the Taoiseach, I know he takes this issue very seriously. There was a requirement on the basis of legal advice to undertake certain actions but the Government remains committed to the Cork events centre. The Government remains very committed to Cork. I assure the Deputy that the Taoiseach remains very committed to Cork too.