Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join my colleague in passing on my condolences to the family of Dan Wallace. As somebody entering politics in Cork, Dan was very much a prominent politician in the area, a person of great integrity and a genuine public servant with the best interests of his constituents at heart at all times. I pass on my condolences to his wife Ethel and family.

I very much welcome the Taoiseach's comments on the task force today and the inclusion of the task force in the programme for Government. Cork is a wonderful city with wonderful features and, of course, wonderful people but like all urban areas, it requires investment, rejuvenation and a continued focus. This is something I sincerely hope the task force will do. It will work closely with Cork City Council, which will have a critical role to play. I know it has already been making moves in this regard. The issues of dereliction, vacancy and underutilisation of buildings are critically important. Hopefully, we can align with our aims in terms of improving housing supply when it comes to housing over shops. The underutilisation of buildings in the city centre is a blight in Cork and the task force needs to deal with this. Transport, connectivity to the city centre, improved local bus services and the light rail system progressing are critically important. One issue that is close to my heart is the lack of a shuttle service between the city centre and Cork Airport. This is something that needs to be delivered as part of this task force. Regarding safety in the city, I listened to other Deputies earlier talk about Garda presence. This is something that came up strongly during the general election. People, unfortunately, do not feel safe in the city centre. The lack of a visible Garda presence and the lack of a proactive policing management plan for the city are issues I hope the task force can deal with. The events centre is something we want to see progressed. I know the Taoiseach shares that view.

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