Mon, 25 Nov, 2024 - 12:54

Crucial constituencies: Cork North-Central profile – Candidates and issues

Here is everything you need to know about Cork North-Central before heading to the polls on November 29th.

Tomas Doherty

An expanded constituency with an extra seat up for grabs means the three larger parties will be trying to get two TDs from Cork North-Central.

Here is everything you need to know about the area before the general election on November 29th.

The constituency

Cork North-Central has expanded since the last election to include two large towns – Ballincollig and Mallow.

The constituency also includes all of Cork city's northside, which is largely working class with some middle-class enclaves such as Shanakiel and Montenotte, as well as expanding commuter towns and villages such as Blarney, Tower, Glanmire and Watergrasshill. The population is 142,748.

The issues

The main issues are likely to be national ones such as housing and health. Households in Cork North-Central are less likely to own their houses outright – 31 per cent compared with 36 per cent nationally.

Another campaign issue which opposition parties will seek to focus on is the neglect of many northside communities.

The northside of the city has some of the highest poverty rates in the country – four electoral divisions are very disadvantaged, according to the Pobal Deprivation Index. In contrast, commuter towns Ballincollig and Watergrasshill are among the most affluent areas of the country.

Seats

Cork North-Central has expanded from four to five seats.

The candidates

The four incumbent candidates in Cork North-Central seem likely to retain their seats. That means the electoral fight will be about the new, fifth seat in the constituency.

The three big parties, along with Labour and Independent Ireland, will be trying to make a gain here.