Long-awaited Cork taskforce will be 'pointless' without funds, says FG councillor

The long-awaited Cork City Taskforce, signed off on yesterday by government, has been described as a “pointless exercise” by a Fine Gael councillor, as no funding has yet been committed to the project.

The taskforce, originally planned to be in place within the first 100 days of this government, will be asked to provide a report and high-level framework by summer.

The independent chair of the new group will be Brendan Tuohy and the board will have expertise from local government, along with State agencies, academia, business, tourism and transport sectors, the gardaí, and the arts.

As no funding has yet been committed, Fine Gael councillor Shane O’Callaghan has queried the relevance of the project. 
The taskforce is to be named the Cork City Futures Group, with the delays in the roll-out of the programme linked to issues with the name. Taoiseach Micheál Martin previously said that people in Cork were “fussy” about the word 'taskforce'. A city council spokesperson previously told The Echo that the word “has connotations of negativity”.

A Cork City Council spokesperson said the launch of the Cork City Futures Group was “a positive step" for the city.

The City Council's Cork City Centre Development and Operations directorate has an action plan for 2025-2030 which was adopted last year.

The Cork City Futures Group will work to unlock the city’s full economic, cultural and academic potential, alongside further investment, innovation and infrastructure, a government spokesperson said.

Fine Gael councillor Shane O’Callaghan said that there will be “a lot of effort” put into both the government’s taskforce and the council’s city centre action plan, but that if neither comes with funding to implement recommendations, “what’s the point?” 

He told The Echo: “While I welcome the fact that the taskforce is going to be established, without a funding stream to ensure the recommendations become a reality, it’s a pointless exercise.

“That’s what’s happening with the Dublin taskforce, there’s been no funding provided yet.” 

The report from the Dublin taskforce was released in October 2024, a year after it was announced by then-Taoiseach, Simon Harris. 

A working group has been set up by Dublin City Council to implement the recommendations. 

The council sought €114m from the government in February this year to kickstart the recommendations, with implementation of the full programme expected to cost up to €1bn.

Mr O’Callaghan said that without any commitment to funding attached to the Cork city taskforce, a similar situation would unfold here.

“People are going to be looking to city council after this report is published, saying you need to do this and this and this, but we’re not getting extra money to do anything. It’s creating unrealistic expectations and pushing them onto the council.

“This seems like a publicity stunt, a way for the government to be seen to be doing something without actually doing anything.” 

The terms of reference approved by cabinet on Wednesday include reviewing the council’s action plan for the city centre and reporting back to government on progress and barriers to progress.

The report will also make recommendations on how Cork city can fully realise its potential for sustained foreign direct investment and domestic business development, and serve as a regional hub aligning educational and intellectual property assets with local and international enterprise.

Other aims include maximising Cork City’s potential as a university city, and considering how the city's arts and culture offering could be strengthened.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: 

“The Government recognises Cork City’s strategic vision and its importance as an administrative, economic academic and cultural hub for the country.

“We are focused on facilitating Cork to reach its full potential. Cork has its own unique strengths and challenges, and we will work to that. Cork City Council is our key partner here in delivering the work and we look forward to a bright future for this wonderful city.”