Dr. Brian Hughes:

If we compare Ireland's second city, Cork, to Finland's second city, Tampere, Cork has one of the best natural harbours in the world and is located in a temperate climate whereas Tampere is very close to being a tundra climate. Why is it that in the 20 years preceding the 2011 census, Tampere has been growing at twice the rate of Cork and has passed it out?

This is the sort of fundamental question that we have to address as a nation. It is very disturbing to me. I know that Ryanair flies into Tampere and all the rest of it, but Cork equally has huge resources. One can see the growth of its necklace towns of Cobh, Midleton, Mallow and Carrigaline, with well over 10,000 people. It is feeding outwards. The problem now is one of critical mass. Cork is now very nearly at the point at which it can really take off because it surprisingly increased its city population from 119,000 to 125,000 people and its overall agglomeration increased by about 10,000 people to 208,000 or 209,000 people. That is very encouraging as it happened during the time of Ireland's deepest recession. It does look as if Cork is beginning to really take off now. As Mr. John Moran and others said, we would like to see that happening in Galway and Limerick especially.