Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has pushed this agenda since this report came out. I remind the House that the report was only passed on the basis of the chairperson's casting vote. In an unprecedented step, the CEO of Cork City Council came out and outlined the reasons this should not happen. I accept that the chief executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey, is now saying he is in favour of it. Just two years ago, when he was the chief executive of Cork City Council, he was saying the best option for Cork was to look at a boundary extension. He was producing maps and writing to the Department to urge those responsible to get off their backsides and look at extending the city boundary.

Now we have a situation where Cork City Council is taking legal action. The council has directed the chief executive to take legal action through a section 140. It has been debated a number of times in Cork City Council and there is total agreement in the council regarding this issue.

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