Calls to extend deadline on Cork Luas public consultation

There have been calls for an extension on the deadline for the Cork Luas public consultation, and a reminder for people to get involved, as submissions close on Monday at 5.30pm.

Labour Party councillor Peter Horgan said that people in his area have a huge amount of research to get through.

He told The Echo: “It’s critical that as many people as possible get their submissions in for June 9, but I do believe that a week extension is needed now, especially for residents in the Ballintemple, Beaumont and Blackrock area to get to grips with the 75-page and 199-page documents on the technical options.

“This section in Ballintemple is the most constrained, most complex section of the Luas route and we have to get this right.

“A week of extra consultation time will not halt the indicative date of a railway order by 2028.”

Social Democrats TD for Cork South Central Pádraig Rice also stressed the importance of people making a submission.

Mr Rice has previously highlighted potential issues with the Luas’s current plans to go down MacCurtain St, suggesting that going along the quays would cause less strain for the businesses there, and avoid the whole street having to be dug up again, just a few years after an expensive revamp project.

Mr Rice said: “This is a key project for Cork. It’s important that everybody’s voice is heard. We have to get this right. I’d encourage anyone with ideas or concerns to raise them as part of the public consultation before the route is finalised.”

Other key issues with the emerging preferred route include the fact that it does not go to the airport and barely goes to the city, with Sinn Féin TDs for Cork city launching a petition calling for the map to include a north/south route, and a spur to serve the airport.

Submissions are open at https://consult.tii.ie/luas-cork until Monday, June 9, at 5:30pm.