Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a commitment in the programme for Government to publish a report by mid-2017 on measures to boost local government leadership and encourage county councils to play a significant role in the regional action plans for jobs. Given that commitment to both local government and a regional jobs spread, will the Smiddy plan to merge Cork County Council and Cork City Council, which has been torn apart by the independent UCC report, be abandoned now and instead will an enhanced and strengthened Cork city and a strengthened local government be pursued to create that economic counterbalance to Dublin?

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