Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and providing an opportunity to update the House. The Cork boundary alteration is the most significant of its kind undertaken in the State and represents a major reorganisation of local government in Cork. The main aim of the boundary extension was to allow the potential for further development within a new Cork City Council area, while also incentivising higher density development and reducing the risk of sprawl. The extended city area now includes Ballincollig, Carrigrohane, Blarney, Glanmire and Cork Airport and the population of the city increased by more than 85,000 people.

The Local Government Act 2019 was enacted on 31 January 2019 to provide for the transfer of part of the administrative area of Cork County Council to the administrative area of Cork City Council. This took place when the new councils took office after the local elections in May 2019. The Act also provided for the establishment of the statutory Cork boundary alteration implementation oversight committee to oversee arrangements for the alteration of the boundary in accordance with the statutory implementation plan. Responsibility for the detailed planning and implementation of the reorganisation process rests primarily with the two local authorities, subject to the guidance and supervision provided by the oversight committee to ensure compliance with the implementation plan. Work on finalising the transfer of functions was completed in late 2020 and both authorities have confirmed that all the actions contained in the statutory implementation plan have been discharged with new service delivery models now in place in both authorities.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is aware that a small number of outstanding practical issues are still being worked through by both authorities with support being provided by the Department. We are confident that these outstanding matters will be settled soon. These matters relate to sections 13(1)(a), 31 and 34 of the Local Government Act 2019 and they mostly relate to planning matters and responsibility for individual planning cases that were in train at the time of the boundary transfer day. The Department is working closely with the two local authorities to resolve these matters. Should the need arise, the Local Government Act 2019 also provides a mechanism for resolving outstanding issues up to and including a ministerial decision.

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