Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phelan, to the Chamber. I think it is his first time here in his capacity as Minister of State. I wish him luck and success. I am sure he will always have happy memories of the long hours he spent here in the past. It was a good alma materfor him.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I too welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber, where he has been involved in many a debate.

I want clarity on what the new Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government will do for Cork and for the proposal to merge the local authorities or whether the population of the city will increase. This issue has been going around since the 1960s and has not been dealt with by Government, whether Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael over the past few decades.It is a big issue for the development of Cork county and city. Major national development plans are being proposed that will see increases in population throughout the country. It is important that Cork will have a focus and ensuring this will depend on local government structures and how we drive our local economy. Cork as an entity is one eighth of the area of Ireland. There are over 500,000 people attached to it, if not more. It has potential to grow rapidly due to access to fresh water and sewage systems, which already are in place. The question of how the city and the county are progressed is key to economic development and to the development of the west and rural areas. This aspect also needs to be considered. The northern and western parts of our county are focused on tourism and agriculture and there must be a combined strategy to ensure that everything comes together.

We have seen two reports. One, issued in September 2015, proposed that there should be one local authority. A counter report issued in March 2017 stated the city needs to incorporate a major part of the county itself. What we need now is clarity. We need a roadmap for the future and to have those issues aired. The consultants have had their say. The people in the universities have had their say. The politicians and the executives have had their say. Everyone bar the people has had their say on this very important issue. We need clarity from the Minister of State as to what he and his Department propose to do.

A local election is looming in 2019. Public representatives need to know what the Minister of State proposes in respect of that local election. They need to know whether there will be new boundaries or no change to the boundaries. Will a boundary commission be set up just for Cork or for the entire country? This is a very complex issue that must be dealt with in a very sympathetic way. Feelings are running high in this part of the world. The Minister of State knows better than anyone how feelings can run high regarding boundaries. When there was a proposal for Waterford to expand into Kilkenny he was vocal in opposing it. He should now bring his experience to bear on what is happening in Cork. He is the Minister of State in charge and he should have the ability to drive a fair and equal partnership in order that everything that can work to some degree in tandem in Cork.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Senator is handing the Minister of State a greasy ball.

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Lombard and the Cathaoirleach. I am glad to be back in Seanad Éireann, albeit in a different capacity.

The issue the Senator raises is highly contentious both in Cork and around the country. The report of the Cork local government committee in September 2015, based on the position of the majority of the committee, recommended that a unitary authority should be established as the statutory local authority for Cork as a whole. There were actually three reports rather than the two the Senator identified, as there was a minority report from that committee also. The minority report considered it essential to retain the city council as a completely separate local authority and took the view that a unified authority would not be able to address adequately the different needs of urban and rural areas. Both the majority and minority groups on the committee agreed that retention of the status quoin Cork was not a tenable option.

As the recommendations were inconclusive, the then Minister established the Cork expert advisory group in October 2016 to examine the majority and minority reports and underlying material. It had a mandate to identify and examine a wider range of options for Cork than might have been considered previously. A key question which the group sought to address is what arrangements would best promote sustainable economic growth and strengthen Cork's position as Ireland's second city and an economic engine for the south of Ireland, along with the implications for business development, population growth, housing provision and associated infrastructure, particularly sustainable transport.

That group's report, published in June 2017, concluded that the current local government arrangements in Cork are unsustainable. Having evaluated a range of options against relevant criteria, it concluded that on balance, an expanded city council area offered the best solution, particularly in terms of the structure of local government and a strong focus on the needs and demands of the metropolitan area, including regeneration. The report also recognises the specific service needs of rural areas.This would involve two separate local authorities with an extension of the city council boundary, which the report concluded represents the best governance model for Cork.

The advisory group also recommended the establishment of a statutory metropolitan body to formulate and oversee a Cork metropolitan area plan to address strategic economic development, housing and infrastructure matters in the wider Cork area. Implementing a significant extension of the boundary of Cork city will be challenging and will involve considerable further logistical work and a detailed financial and organisational analysis to identify assets and liabilities and address issues such as the necessary financial and other adjustments between the local authorities, the transfer of staff and the establishment of new structures to ensure that the challenges of implementation are addressed effectively.

An implementation oversight group with relevant expertise, in particular in the financial area, is to be established to oversee the process. The changes represent the most significant population transfer associated with a local government boundary change in Ireland. This will be reflected in the consequent timescales for implementation. Arrangements for the operation of the implementation oversight group are being finalised. Its initial main task will be to submit a detailed implementation plan in the early autumn.

I will try to get more specific information for the Senator on the implementation plan and when it will be submitted. The Senator is right to identify the point that the potential transfer of such tracts of the county into the city area would have significant financial implications for Cork County Council, were it to happen, not to mention the review of local government electoral areas. There will be a national review of those areas, which is due to start in autumn of this year following the recent publication of the Dáil boundary report.

At this stage, the implementation oversight group is charged with finalising the boundary issue between Cork city and county, and I will work with it, as will the Department, to ensure that happens as soon as is practically possible.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. I am not too pleased with many aspects of it. Clarity is the major issue I sought but did not receive today. I mentioned that we have heard the views of academics, politicians and executives. Perhaps it is about time that we asked the people for their views and there should be a plebiscite on this issue. What is the view of the Minister of State with respect to asking the people of Cork their opinion? Everybody else has had an opinion on this, except for the people. It is a major issue in Cork. It is the subject of major debate and the Minister of State has dealt with the issue. He has seen how things can run deep. Would the implementation body believe it is appropriate that a plebiscite be held on this issue?

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As Theresa May knows, a plebiscite does not always offer the answer one would like.

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The implementation group will investigate every aspect of what might be suitable for Cork. However, it is the job of officials in local authorities, elected members of local authorities and Senators to represent the views of the people - Senator Lombard represents the people of Cork. I represent the people of Carlow-Kilkenny and the wider country in my new position. A local plebiscite, as was previously suggested, might muddy the waters even further. A report has to be implemented and the group will be established in the autumn. It has a big job of work to do.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am sure there will be a lot of chewing on this bone in the next 12 months.