The decision to spend State funds on the MIT's Media Lab Europe was taken on an unusual basis. Unlike most third-level projects, the centre was directly championed by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Department of Education was not the main driving force. Most third-level grants come through the Higher Education Authority but the Taoiseach and his officials decided that was not suitable in this case.
The other unusual element to the decision was the speed with which it was taken. A document by senior civil servant Mr Dermot McCarthy from November 1999 says: "There is little doubt but that the benefits of establishing the new entity will be achieved only if we move quickly and flexibly."
The Government decided a few months later to approve the centre though it normally takes capital projects in the third-level sector years to get started.
But the documents reveal that officials believed a centre like the MIT lab was needed urgently. "Aspects of our existing software and call centre industries are obsolescent", states one document seen by the Taoiseach. This was the main reason for sanctioning the spending on the lab.
Mr McCarthy, then an assistant secretary, made this clear in an early document from November 1999: "Unless we quickly move to the next generation of high value-added activity we face significant economic and employment problems in the not too distant future." MIT was the way to stimulate this activity, the documents conclude.
The documents are clear that Ireland was not perturbed by the decision of Germany and Sweden to turn down the MIT project. "It is true that some other European countries decided against proceeding with such a project with MIT. This, however, as much reflects their failure to develop US-style pace and performance in these areas as on MIT," says a memo to Mr Ahern from Mr McCarthy.
The documents show the other reason why the project was given such favourable treatment was because it would become the hub of a new "multi-media village", housing the facilities of large corporations and start-up businesses. This village in the Liberties area of Dublin has since been given the go-ahead.
The documents also say that Prof Nicholas Negroponte is essential to the success of the project and his presence hopefully will outweigh the other concerns.