The government has put aside €500,000 to pay MCD, the country’s largest events organiser, for staging a concert for US President Barack Obama at College Green in Dublin, last May.
Although acts such as Westlife, Jedward and Imelda May played for free, the event cost about €600,000, said the Department of the Taoiseach.
MCD’s bill includes the cost of cleaning the facade of Bank of Ireland’s branch on College Green. The building was used as a backdrop for Obama’s address, which was the highlight of his short visit and was broadcast on news bulletins around the world.
The concert promoter was responsible for staging the evening’s entertainment.
Gardai and the US secret service were responsible for organising the security. A spokesman for MCD confirmed its involvement was “limited to the provision of infrastructure for stage, artist and TV production services”.
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He said that MCD was “not the promoter or organiser of the event”. Although the company has yet to submit a final invoice, the spokesman added that the bill “will be lower than the €500,000 draft budget”. He said MCD would charge only for its expenses, and was not seeking a fee. He added that the company felt “privileged” to have been involved in the event.
Details of the cost of the concert, released under the Freedom of Information Act Act, show MCD is to be paid €363,000 for the infrastructure, including the erection of the stage, crash barriers, lighting and sound. Another €57,000 will go on paying staff, including producers, labourers and security for the acts.
Venue-related costs make up another €12,000, including setting up portable loos and toilets for the disabled. This part of the fee also includes cleaning Bank of Ireland’s College Green branch.
Other prospective costs of about €68,000 are listed as miscellaneous, but include the travel and accommodation costs of the acts that performed at the event. It is understood that MCD may reduce this portion of the costs.
The contract for hosting the concert was not tendered because of uncertainty over the location and the content of the event, which were not finalised until a week before.
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MCD was hired on May 11, less than two weeks before the concert was staged.
Enda Kenny, the taoiseach, has indicated that America may contribute towards the overall cost of the event. An Irish government spokeswoman said discussions were continuing. “The amount has not yet been finalised,” she said. “The question of a US contribution was raised by the US authorities before the event. It was not requested by the Irish government, although it is of course welcome.”
A spokesman for the US embassy declined to comment on the matter.
Apart from the €500,000 set aside to be paid to MCD, the Department of the Taoiseach spent €78,593 on advertising the concert. Another €15,790 was spent by the department on catering and €4,538 was spent on photography, although the latter covered all of the US president’s visit.