Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to discuss this important issue, which I have been raising at various forums in recent years, namely, the disproportionately small amount of funding that is being allocated to Cork County Council for the county under various headings. Cork County Council commissioned a report by Maynooth University to examine its funding streams, including the roads budget, the town and village renewal scheme, the rural regeneration fund and LEADER. It is not getting a proportionate amount of funding. The Department has to accept there is a funding shortfall for County Cork.

County Cork is not just Cork city. It is a vast county. I represent its Duhallow and Charleville regions right down to Dunmanway and from Ballydesmond to Ballincollig. It is a huge area. Our constituency is as large as some counties. The geographical spread of the county needs to be reflected on by all Departments that are issuing funding. While they can tick a box and say that so many projects are funded in each county, a proportionate amount of funding is not being given to the County Cork.

Down the years, the local authority has administered the county in three different regions: the north, the west and the south. These areas could be three independent units for funding. The Government and its Departments need to consider this matter seriously. Despite the amount of CLÁR and rural regeneration funding that has come to Cork in recent years, some fantastic projects are still without funding. Through LEADER companies or the local authority, they have made significant efforts to apply to, or make expressions of interest to, Departments for funding, but they have been shot down.

I would like to see a recognition that there is a lower amount of funding going to the county per capita. The size of the county needs to be reflected on. There are ways of ensuring more funding goes to the county. Since it already has three administrative areas, legislative change is not required to ensure sufficient funding can be provided. I could talk about the amount of funding coming through other schemes as well. It does not reflect the county properly.

I am raising this matter because there is a significant opportunity. We have fantastic communities across the county. I am privileged to represent some that have proposed great and innovative ideas. As we have seen in recent months, people are now looking at rural areas as a viable option. Despite the crazy planning policies of the past 20 years, they view rural areas as the best places for them and their families to live. We should follow them and enable that.

We should examine rural areas to ensure adequate funding is being provided to them under the various headings and schemes. Those Government schemes are innovative, excellent and well thought out in terms of their aims and aspirations, but it is important County Cork get a fair and balanced amount of funding under each and every heading through which funding is provided by the Government to local councils.

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