Fianna Fail councillors have formally asked the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) to audit the company established to manage Galway’s year as European capital of culture.

The party’s group on Galway city council said it wants the audit carried out “as soon as possible, to ensure accountability is in place for taxpayer funding”.

In a letter to the C&AG the group points out that the Galway 2020 company confirmed it had spent €18m of the €19m received from government and EU sources. “This is despite the widespread cancellation of events caused due to Covid-19,” the letter states.

A limited entity, Galway Cultural Development and Activity Company, was established to run the European capital of culture programme. The not-for-profit company provides a governance structure and has a voluntary board.

The Sunday Times is reporting that after it’s programme was suspended because of the pandemic, 17 staff were made redundant.

A revised programme of events is to run from September to March 2021.