Cork County Council has issued a statement on the proposed FAI Munster Centre of Excellence in Glanmire.
The €12m project was shelved last week, with the FAI saying that it no longer represented value for money.
In the statement, the County Council says that the lands were subject of a leasing agreement between them and the FAI, and that the Council did not commit to any financial input nor provide any assurances in respect of being a financial partner.
The statement also says that it was the responsibility of the leaseholder to undertake the appropriate due diligence to ensure that the lands were suitable for their proposed use.
The statement was issued following a report in the Irish Examiner that said that the FAI were informed by architectural engineers more than six years ago that the site was unsuitable for redevelopment, due to a large presence of rock under the surface.
The statement from Cork County Council in full reads:
"In respect of the proposed FAI Munster Centre of Excellence, Cork County Council wishes to confirm that the subject lands were part of a leasing agreement between Cork County Council and the FAI for the development of sport facilities to be developed and operated under the management and control of the FAI.
"Cork County Council did not commit to any financial input or provide any assurances in respect of being a financial partner. Financing of the project was entirely the responsibility of the FAI.
'As is common practice to any leasing arrangement, it is the responsibility of the lease holder, the FAI in this case, to undertake the appropriate due diligence to ensure that the lands were suitable for their proposed use."
