The trustees of a Galway arthouse cinema which received millions in State funding did not get an independent valuation before transferring its ownership to a private firm, an investigation by the Charities Regulator has found. The cinema project ran into significant difficulties, including delays and cost overruns, since it was first proposed in 2004. The charity Solas-Galway Picture Palace, has since transferred ownership to Element Pictures, which runs the LightHouse Cinema in Dublin. In total the project received €7.5 million in funding, the majority of which came from public bodies. The Charities Regulator started an investigation in February 2017 into the transfer of the cinema to the private operator.

Source: The Irish Times May 24, 2018 14:26 UTC