Government urged to prioritise the establishment of a taskforce to rejuvenate Cork city centre
The establishment of a dedicated plan and taskforce for Cork city needs to be prioritised stated a Cork TD.
Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central, Colm Burke said the establishment of the Cork City taskforce must not be delayed any further.
Mr Burke said that for continued investment in Cork city there is a clear need to establish the taskforce. 'The Programme for Government clearly recognises the need for a dedicated task force for Cork city centre. This is something that Fine Gael also campaigned on in the 2024 general election.'
In their party manifesto before last year's general election, Fine Gael stated that it will appoint a dedicated Cork City Taskforce within the first 100 days of Government to rejuvenate the city centre and drive major infrastructure projects committed to in the general election manifesto.
Along with the rejuvenation of the city centre, Fine Gael also committed to driving major investment in healthcare through the creation of a new surgical hub and a new elective hospital.
Development of Cork Airport, construction of the Limerick to Cork motorway and investment in public transport were also top priorities for Fine Gael in Cork city and county.
'We urgently need to see its establishment,' said Deputy Burke. 'We are now 200 days on and this taskforce has yet to be put in place. People in Cork are rightly asking when this will be delivered. Across the county we are making progress on a number of fronts. The new hospital at Sarsfield Court, Glanmire is at design stage; and plans for new light rail as well as commuter rail has been announced, with new commuter rail stations in areas such as Blackpool, Blarney and Tivoli.
'Now we must go one step further for our city centre with a dedicated plan on how we can grow and improve our city,' he added.
Deputy Burke who is the Fine Gael spokesperson for Cork said the taskforce would be hugely beneficial in growing, developing and supporting businesses and residents in the Cork city centre. 'It would consider the economic and social needs of the city and develop plans for positive development and transformation. We have seen the difference it can make in Dublin, where government, local government and community stakeholders, work together and say, 'what's our common vision'. It needs to happen in Cork.'
The experienced Cork TD said the huge increase in the population in Cork over recent years brings 'new' challenges for Cork city centre. 'The population of Cork has increased substantially over the past 20 years. This brings new challenges for our city centre. We must meet these challenges with a fresh approach. I believe that the joined up thinking of a taskforce, bringing together local expertise from various different sectors would be incredibly beneficial.
'We must not delay any further in bringing this common vision to fruition. We need to see the Cork City taskforce made a priority,' he added.
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