Cork city taskforce memo ‘ready for Cabinet’, says Tánasite 

A memo will go to Cabinet in the coming weeks to establish a Cork city taskforce, the Tánaiste has confirmed.

Fine Gael previously pledged to appoint a Cork city taskforce, modelled on the Dublin city taskforce, within the first 100 days of Government.

It was to be established by last May to “rejuvenate the city centre and drive major infrastructure projects committed to in the party’s general election manifesto”.

But like the beleaguered Cork Events Centre, it has hit delays.

Speaking in Cork on Friday, Simon Harris said that the memo on Cork’s taskforce is effectively ready to go to Cabinet.

“It could go as soon as next week; it’ll certainly go within the next two or three weeks,” Mr Harris said.

“It would have been desirable to have the Cork taskforce set up quicker.”

Significant engagement 

Mr Harris said there has been significant engagement from everyone involved across central and local government.

“In fairness to Cork, they were probably further ahead and further down the road than perhaps Dublin was when we started their taskforce.

“I believe the city council adopted a city centre plan last year, so a lot of work had been done.

“And I don’t want to speak for the local authority, but I think they were very keen that instead of something being imposed from the centre that actually there’d be a reflection of the work that they had done and they’d have a chance to mould it.”

Mr Harris was asked if the proposed taskforce, called the Cork Futures Group — was a “Temu version” of the Dublin city taskforce.

Mr Harris that said the name was chosen by the local authority, as he understood it.

“So it’d be a very brave Wicklow man who would come to Cork and tell the people of Cork what they’re going to accept,” he said with a smile.

“I know the people of Cork well enough to know that’s not how this works.

“I’ve been told about it a hundred times today that I’m in the real capital.”

Events centre 

Meanwhile, construction on the beleaguered Cork events centre could begin “towards the end of this year”, he said.

A tender for the project must go back out first, and this will be done “ideally before Easter,” Mr Harris said.

“Certainly this is a project that needs to be delivered,” the tánaiste and minister for finance said.

“We’ve committed to it — in fact, if anything, we’ve doubled down on it.”

“The case for the Cork Events Centre is stronger, quite frankly, than ever before. Yes, it’s taken too long, we can all say why — legal challenges, planning delays, covid, etc.

“It has taken too long, but we are fully committed to it.

“I do get the sense today, in fairness to the city council and others, that there is real progress being made.

“And getting this to tender is the next step.”