Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If people like the Senator and Deputy Micheál Martin had not played politics with the future of Cork, it would have been successful. That is my main regret. Some people who were in favour of directly elected mayors and lord mayors chose to play narrow party political politics with the city of Cork instead of supporting its future. As Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Micheál Martin should hang his head in shame for the way he abdicated responsibility by not campaigning or asking the people of Cork to vote for the proposal, even though it was Fianna Fáil policy. That is the reality.