Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It was brought to my attention during lockdown that there could be a green space in the area where I live, Gurranabraher, in addition to Farranree, similar to what we would probably see in London. A green space is normally in front of houses that are facing a square but in the case of Gurranabraher and Farranree it is actually at the back of houses. What has happened is that people have put up fences and walls around their houses and there are now green islands trapped in the back. The intention was that the local community whose houses back onto those green spaces would use them. Whether it was due to antisocial behaviour or privacy issues, people have built walls and fences and now those spaces just lie idle. It is a shame. I have contacted Cork City Council about it. Some people have taken ownership and made their gardens bigger.

We are really losing out on the whole community aspect and it is something we should consider. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of the local authorities and many areas of government became more flexible. An example is the St. Mary's orthopaedic hospital campus, which put in a Slí na Sláinte during the height of the restrictions. That location is less than a kilometre from my house and it is a place where people could go with their families and not have to meet anybody but they could see people. They have now stopped cutting back sections of it because of biodiversity concerns. The back of my father's house is up against the old hospital and people always wanted to have that part cut back. This demonstrates how people are changing attitudes.

In Churchfield, not far from where I live, there is an allotment that Cork City Council set up approximately 15 years ago. It is a tremendous success and people have called me saying they would love to get space in the allotment or asking if their community could get an allotment like it. It is a great model and it is a pity there are not more of them. The council has done good work there and I do not know if there is a funding issue. It was a green piece of land that the council owned. It is right next to Scoil Padre Pio and the nursery so the kids looking out have a park, a playground and allotments. That is what people want growing up and what they want to look at from a school window.

I had a meeting last week with some representatives of the Clogheen and Kerry Pike community association. They have a community park and are looking for some funding to put in a community garden. Councillors Kenneth Collins, Mick Nugent and I met those representatives last Saturday about Ballycannon Park, which is named after six volunteers who were killed in the War of Independence. They are looking to put the community park right where the volunteers were killed. Cork City Council has put in benches, one for each of the volunteers, but now they are looking for a community garden. There is a Slí na Sláinte and the group is also looking for the location to have an area for biodiversity.

There is great work being done by communities. I am talking about a great community with many volunteers who are doing work and funding. Not all community groups would have the organisational support that Clogheen and Kerry Pike would have. We can see what they are doing in the community and they are really doing well. We cannot have other communities being left behind. I commend the group on the work it is doing but with anything we do we must ensure there is action right across the board.