CIF Southern Region Director: We are delivering world class projects in Cork and beyond 

WE have so much to write home about when it comes to Cork city and county – it’s a thriving metropolitan area, which has attracted 9 out of 10 of the world’s top life sciences companies; we have excellent universities and colleges which ensure a talent pipeline for our region, ambitious local authorities, and we have a dynamic, progressive and forward- thinking approach to business and life.

Our construction sector is vibrant with some fantastic, innovative and strategic leaders in the region, delivering world class projects in Cork and far beyond also.

And of course, in Cork, we always want more – and that’s a strategy that has served us really well to date, in both our vision, ambition, and delivery for Cork.

As the representative body for the construction industry in the region, CIF Cork is always working with stakeholders in the area, and it is another testament to Cork that all the various organisations, public and private, work so well together, meeting and communicating regularly so that there is consistency and cohesiveness in the region’s overall vision.

Even today as we look around Cork, we can see significant developments are underway – the South Docklands is progressing following the demolition of R&H Hall buildings and we will see further development here in the coming months, delivering jobs and new offices and homes for Cork.

Across the river, the key to unlocking even more potential for Cork lies in the delivery of the Port of Cork Masterplan. 

The removal of large freight transport through Cork city and subsequent improvement in traffic congestion along with the motorway to Ringaskiddy are key enablers of Cork’s future growth and development. Yet they have not moved with the dynamism of our region, and there is risk that other regions will capitalise while Cork delays.

Roads and public transport in Cork must be prioritised, potentially in a fashion similar to the fast tracking of Strategic Housing Developments (SHDs) so that we are not only attractive to outward investment, but so that our own investment continues. Infrastructure was highlighted as a key challenge to development in Cork in recent research commissioned by CIF Cork.

It is essential we have a built environment which includes housing, roads, transport systems, schools, hospitals and utilities to meet the needs of the population and investment into Cork.

Significant constraints in maintaining the forward growth of Cork are the lack of adequate infrastructure such as water services, public transport, flood relief schemes, schools, healthcare facilities and these have a massive knock on impact on development. If a site cannot be accessed by road infrastructure, if there isn’t a public transport route or a local school, or adequate water services, the construction sector is seriously hampered and development stalls.

Planning remains one of the most significant constraints to building out the National Development Plan in a timely and efficient manner. The length of time from project inception to execution is years and this means that the cost of carrying out projects inevitably changes. 

We must be more streamlined in our assessment process and our process of adjudicating on planning applications to accelerate the delivery of critically needed infrastructure and housing.

Cork’s ambitious plans are achievable; the region has only ever demonstrated its ability to deliver regardless of the size and scale of any project. The government has identified Cork as a Regional Centre and as such, targeted investment and innovation from Government is required. A key example of this is the Government funding pledge needed for the delivery Cork’s Events Centre to be achieved. The Events Centre will not only bring upwards of the 1,000 jobs to the Region in the construction phase, but long-term could see the Region’s employment opportunities grow by up to 3,000 jobs associated with the Events Centre itself and the hospitality boost it will consequentially provide.

Cork is ideally placed for future development opportunities, but we must progress with decision making, plan and invest in our infrastructure, open doors to ensure we retain our attractiveness for FDI, maximise the Region’s potential for Renewable Energy both onshore and offshore and stimulate the upward growth of our workforce.