Cork County Council Chief Executive: ‘We are committed to improving services in Cork’

2025 was a busy one as Cork County Council continued to deliver vital services for the people we serve.

Our mission is clear: to foster vibrant and inclusive communities that put people at the heart of everything we do and to continue to encourage growth in Cork.

This involves close collaboration with Government departments, third-level institutions, state agencies, and partners across both the public and private sectors. Our ongoing partnerships are key to this as we maintain strong relationships with Cork City Council, other local authorities, and the Southern Regional Assembly. Together, we are committed to enhancing Cork and the wider region.

With three Divisions and eight Municipal Districts working in unison, we are building on the successes of past years.

We have a budget in 2026 of nearly €1bn to be spent in Cork County for the purposes of increased investment in frontline services across our towns and villages in areas such as road maintenance, housing maintenance, library operations, and public conveniences.

This also includes a very significant Capital Programme which is strongly focused on the delivery of social and affordable housing – Cork County Council has almost 2,200 homes at various stages between pipeline and delivery.

Road infrastructure

In relation to critical road infrastructure, Cork County Council last year commenced the construction of the M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy, a project with an estimated cost of €456m.

BAM construction will deliver the project that will see 11km of road installed between Bloomfield Interchange to Barnahely, and this is expected to be completed by the summer of 2028.

Also significant is the bringing to planning stage of the R624 Great Island Connectivity Scheme for Cobh.

The Council also welcomes confirmation that a number of critical schemes are planned for advancement in 2026, including the Cork to Limerick M20 project, the N25 Youghal to Midleton Road Project and the Mallow Relief Road.

In addition to this, the Council has committed part-funding to a number of Municipal District minor schemes that will see improvements to community infrastructure over the coming years. These are vital funds in supporting local community infrastructure and projects.

We have delivered our roads programme for 2025 and have made good use of the allocations provided under National Roads Funding, Regional and Local Roads Grants and the Local Improvement Scheme.

Housing

During 2025, in response to a request by the Government to enable greater lands for housing, Cork County Council initiated a public call for suitable zoning land - including greenfield, brownfield, infill and regeneration sites.

This process is ongoing and will be completed during 2026 and will provide for sustainable additional growth with the intention of providing suitable lands to enable housing over the next few years.

The Council is conscious that to provide more housing, the enabling infrastructure will also be required and coordination with other bodies in this regard will be very important.This will complement the existing housing programme across Cork County.

Between social, affordable and cost rental our housing stock currently stands at 8,804.

Continued maintenance and management of our existing housing stock is also of vital importance, while a proportion of our housing is tailored for Older Persons with dedicated Sheltered Housing Services.

Flood mitigation

Given changing weather patterns and increased flooding events, we have a very strong focus as an organisation on flood mitigation. We acknowledge the devastation and difficulties for people living in areas affected by flooding. Cork County Council is currently progressing five major Flood Relief Schemes (FRS) on behalf of the Office of Public Works, in Midleton, Bantry, Ballinhassig, Ballymakeera and Carrigaline.

The Planning Application for the major flood relief scheme for Midleton will be submitted in the second half of 2026. Separately, a planning decision is due early this year in relation to a planning application submitted for the construction of a flood defence embankment and associated works to protect 111 properties, as advance works to the major FRS. An Individual Property Protection (IPP) Scheme interim measure is also underway in East Cork.

We recently had our third Public Participation Day for the Bantry FRS where the emerging preferred option was presented to the public for comment. Public consultation is integral to the development of all flood relief schemes and all input is considered in identifying the preferred scheme which will ultimately advance to planning stage.

In addition to the major flood relief schemes, Cork County Council sources funding from OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation and Coastal Protection Scheme to advance other flood mitigation works, including river clearance works, coastal protection works and other flood defence works.

Amenities and business

Our county is wide and diverse, encompassing many different communities, including our Island and Gaeltacht communities. We are committed to improving the services and amenities for all citizens of Cork County and we will continue to do this in 2026.

Cork is also a strong region for economic activity that has diversity across small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), agriculture, tourism and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Around 50,000 people are working in FDI companies across Cork and we support this with our indigenous companies, our strong SME sector and Third-Level institutions. We will continue to work to our strengths in 2026.

All the while, we continue to promote Cork as a great place to live and work. Tourism is key to this, as we want people to come and experience the culture in Ireland’s biggest county, with the world’s second largest natural harbour. We drive this by promoting iconic attractions including Camden Fort Meagher, Cobh Heritage Centre, Dursey Island Cable Car, Harper’s Island Wetlands, Kinsale Museum, Mallow Castle, Michael Collins’ House and Trail, Skibbereen Heritage Centre, Spike Island, and Youghal Clock Gate Tower.

These sites showcase the rich heritage, culture, and natural beauty that make Cork such a unique destination, and we maintain them through close collaboration with Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, and local stakeholders.

I encourage you to take time to enjoy all that our beautiful county has to offer, from our stunning views to scenic trails, and make sure to support local businesses along the way as they are the heart of our towns and villages.

I want to acknowledge the hard work of our Elected Members who serve their local communities and our dedicated staff at Cork County Council who work hard to deliver essential services.