Winterval went over budget by almost €1 million
Crowds gather across John Roberts Square for Winterval
According to a recent audit carried out by Waterford City and County Council for the year ending December 31st 2024, an issue involving Winterval was formally reported to An Garda Síochána. However, having concluded an investigation, they did not recommend that any action be taken.
Winterval cost the council €1.2 million, exceeding its €339k budget by 824k.
An internal review identified a number of issues that led to this "negative outturn".
This included the cost associated with the appointment of a contractor as festival director, an absence of "effective and timely" council management oversight of costs and operations, poor budgetary and accounting controls, resulting in incorrect accounting entries, and increased payroll and overtime charges for Council employees.
The report highlighted the need for considerable improvement in cash handling and financial controls for all attractions operated by the service providers.
The co-director of Winterval at the time, John Grubb told the Waterford News & Star that he was unaware of any budget overspend until it was reported in the media. According to him, the festival's production budget went nowhere near an €800k overspend in 2024. He stepped down as co-director of Winterval for 2025 but took a three-year contract as the production management company, responsible for the day-to-day running of the festival.
A source with knowledge of Winterval’s finances has told the Waterford News & Star that Winterval itself did not cost anywhere near €1.2 million and the discrepancy in budget may have arisen from council-directed activity, such as street cleaning and lighting.
Arising from this review, an issue was further investigated and formally reported to An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána have concluded their investigation and are not recommending any action.
Cllr Dónal Barry told the Waterford News & Star: “This was not a minor overspend it appears to be a fundamental breakdown in financial control and oversight.”
He continued: “These findings raise profound concerns about how public money was managed and monitored. Taxpayers are entitled to clear answers and firm protections.”
The Chief Executive wrote in the audit: “Winterval is a cornerstone of Waterford’s cultural calendar and makes a significant impact on the local community and local economy."
He continued: “The Council remains committed to ongoing oversight, strengthened budgetary controls and effective management of all festival activities.”
The gardaí were reached for comment but did not respond at the time of publication.
