Calls to revive Cork city-county joint committee that hasn’t met for years
CorkmanA committee that brought together councillors from both of Cork’s local authorities should be revived to improve co-operation over contentious issues such as the proposed Cork-Kinsale greenway, a city councillor has said.
The Joint Cork City Council/Cork County Council Committee hasn’t met for several years. At this week’s meeting of Cork City Council, Cllr Ciara O’Connor put forward a motion calling on the city council to write to its county counterpart requesting that the committee be reconvened “to ensure ongoing cooperation and coordination on projects of mutual importance that overlap both local authority areas and municipal districts.”
“The reality is that as our city grows and the county grows, many of the strategic projects we are involved in, whether it's infrastructure, transport, environmental planning, do not respect the boundaries between city and county, they affect all of us and more importantly they affect communities we represent,” she said.
The Labour councillor said that in the case of the greenway, “there are residents and constituents in the South West Ward of the city who are affected by this. While the route may fall within the jurisdiction of Cork County Council, I do believe that us as South West Ward councillors should be able to have a say in this also. Many of the residents as well also live adjacent to the proposed corridor. Their voices, concerns and aspirations deserve a part of this conversation as do us as elected representatives.”
Cllr Peter Horgan (Labour) agreed with the motion. “I too am a member of that committee that has never met. This erstwhile committee of shadowy figures that never seem to see each other in the light of day. It's something that should happen. Because there are issues like Councillor O'Connor has said, but on the eastern side of the city, issues between Carrigaline and Douglas.”
“Most people don't see a boundary really. They will say to me they still think that part of Douglas is still in the county or else they think Passage West and Carrigaline are in the city. So most people in their day-to-day life don't see the boundaries and I think this committee would be worthwhile in doing,” he said.
Cllr Albert Deasy also supported the motion. He said “a lot of issues have arisen” since the city council agreed to give the county council all of its powers and functions regarding the proposed greenway, which some landowners fear will be constructed using compulsory purchase orders.
“Cork County Council were very, very quick off the mark within a couple of days of that approval. Everybody affected by the emerging preferred route received notices from Cork County Council advising them that they were on the route and that they would be negotiating with them, which would include, if necessary, compulsory purchase orders on the lands,” the Independent councillor said.
Cllr Sean Martin (Fianna Fáil) said that the best way to proceed would be “for us in Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, Soc Dems, Greens, People before Profit, whoever, to liaise with their counter-members on the county side and try to get the committee up and running again.”
The city council has appointed councillors to be part of the committee if it ever resumes meeting but the Irish Independent understands that the county council has not. One of the city appointees, Cllr Shane O’Callaghan (Fine Gael), told the paper that “my understanding is that it never met during the last council term. So it hasn't met at least since June 2019 and I suspect it didn't meet for a long time before that either.”
In September a spokesperson for Cork County Council told the Irish Independent that “this committee has not met over the last 12 months. However, it is hoped to arrange a meeting of same before the end of the year.”