Group protests lack of funding for Cork's northside at City Hall
Sinn Féin protesters outside the City Hall about the lack of funding for facilities in Cork's Northside. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
A GROUP gathered outside Cork City Hall on Monday evening to protest what Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould has claimed is the consistent neglect of the northside of the city.
Speaking at the protest, which took place before the monthly city council meeting, Deputy Gould said he did not wish to make this a northside versus southside issue.
“All the projects that were got on the southside were needed, but I challenge any government TD to walk the northside and southside with me and tell me that it is a fair distribution,” the Cork North Central TD said.
Reacting to the protest, Fianna Fáil Councillor Tony Fitzgerald said Sinn Féin was cynically “polarising” communities.
“I am calling on Sinn Féin to apologise to the people of the northside for dividing the city and choosing to use a negative image of the northside for political gain."
In figures complied by Sinn Féin, Deputy Gould said that in the past year there had been four major announcements of funding, beginning with last February’s Sustainable Transport Funding, which saw 31 projects, worth €15.8 million, going to the southside, and 12 projects, worth €5.8 million, going to the northside.
The Taoiseach, Mr Gould said, had announced €405 million for urban regeneration, but none of that money went to the northside.
Deputy Gould said TII roads funding had seen an allocation of €1.16 million for the Kinsale Road, against €300,000 for the Northern Ring Road.
In the recent Active Travel 2022, the southside got 29 projects, worth €18.6 million, against 13 projects, worth €4.9 million, going to the northside.
“It’s a thundering disgrace, and all of these issues I have raised in the Dáil,” Deputy Gould said.
“Funding went down on last year by €850,000. The average cost of a project on the southside is €620,000, versus €350,000 on the northside, and people are fed up, people are angry,” he said.
Sinn Féin Councillor Mick Nugent said there is a distinct imbalance in funding for projects between the northside and the southside.
“We’re here on Valentine’s night, and we’re saying show some love to the northside,” Councillor Nugent said.
“In terms of economic and educational outcomes, we still have large levels of inequality between the northside and the southside, and if the balance of funding is tilted one way, that’s not giving us a fair go.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Kenneth Collins cited the pavement on John F Connelly Road as a disgrace, with children being forced to walk on the road.
“For years I’ve been calling on them to remove those bollards, and it’s always been ‘Oh, the cost, the cost’.
“I don’t think they’d put up with that on the southside of the city,” he said.
Southsider Henry Cremin, a former Sinn Féin city councillor, said he was there with two friends to support the northside.
Last week, in response to claims made by Deputy Gould, a spokesperson for Cork City Council said the council’s draft City Development Plan 2022-2028 has an objective to regenerate the Blackpool/Kilbarry area.
The spokesperson also said work is progressing on the Northern Distributor Road project and that the northside of the city will also benefit significantly from the BusConnects programme.
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