TD says promised Cork city taskforce should not be delayed further

The establishment of the Cork city taskforce has already taken twice as long as it should have, and it must not be delayed any further, a Cork North Central TD has said.

It comes as Tánaiste Simon Harris told The Echo in June that he would push for the establishment of a Cork city taskforce, after promising during the election campaign that Fine Gael would seek its creation within 100 days of Government, by the end of this year.

Colm Burke, Fine Gael spokesperson for Cork, told The Echo that people are asking when this is to be delivered.

A Dublin taskforce was established last year, and the government had promised to create one for Cork next, followed by other Irish cities.

Mr Burke said: “The Programme for Government clearly recognises the need for a dedicated task force for Cork City centre. This is something that Fine Gael also campaigned on in the 2024 General Election.

“We are now 200 days on, and this taskforce has yet to be put in place. People in Cork are rightly asking when this will be delivered. We urgently need to see its establishment.” 

He continued: “Across the county we are making progress on a number of fronts. The new hospital at Sarsfield Court, Glanmire is at design stage, and plans for new light rail, as well as commuter rail has been announced, with new commuter rail stations in areas such as Blackpool, Blarney and Tivoli.

“Now we must go one step further for our city centre with a dedicated plan on how we can grow and improve our city.

“This taskforce would be hugely beneficial in growing, developing and supporting businesses and residents in the Cork city centre. 

"It would consider the economic and social needs of the city and develop plans for positive development and transformation.” 

He said that people have seen the difference it can make in Dublin, “where government, local government and community stakeholders, work together and say, ‘what’s our common vision?’ Now that it has happened in Dublin, it needs to happen in Cork.” 

Mr Burke explained that the population of Cork has increased substantially over the past 20 years, which brings new challenges for the city centre which require a fresh approach. “I believe that the joined up thinking of a taskforce, bringing together local expertise from various different sectors would be incredibly beneficial.

“We must not delay any further in bringing this common vision to fruition. We need to see the Cork city taskforce made a priority.”