Cork County Council head concerned about opposition to merger

Cork County Council chief executive Tim Lucey has expressed concern that opposition to the planned merger of Cork city and county councils will damage Cork's reputation internationally and affect its chances of attracting foreign investment into the region.

Mr Lucey said that since the publication of the report by the Cork Local Government Review Group, with its majority recommendation that Cork city and county councils be merged into a single unitary authority, he had been disappointed by the attitude of some opponents of the proposal.

"I am dismayed that some stakeholders have opted to promote a boundary between the people of Cork and have decided the outcome before the establishment of an implementation group as proposed by Minister [for the Environment] Alan Kelly, " he said.

This division, as well as threats by some to relocate their business to Dublin if the proposed merger progressed, was damaging to both Cork-based businesses and the efforts of many stakeholders in Cork working to attract investment opportunities to Cork, he said.

“Let me warn people that such utterances can hinder effective engagement with national and international decision makers. I, for one, do not need commentary such as ‘Sure Cork can’t even get its own act together’ when promoting Cork’s case,” he said.

Mr Lucey, who previously served as Cork City Council chief executive, said there had been tremendous co-operation between the two councils over the years in attracting and retaining multinationals as well as encouraging indigenous industry.

He said he could understand the fears associated with a merger but such fears were unfounded. “There are those who worry that if the city merges with the rest of Cork,” he added, “it will be lost in the larger grouping. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“The report highlighted ‘the position of Cork city as the centre of a dynamic city region and an effective counter balance to the growth of Dublin can be advanced more effectively in a unified structure’.”

Mr Lucey said he and his colleagues in Cork County Council fully recognised the importance of the city in promoting Cork, while also recognising “the superb assets across the remaining county” that underpin the attractiveness of the Cork region.

Urging people to read the report and the majority recommendation by the review group, Mr Lucey said Cork should seize the opportunity to bring what was best in both councils together to “create a bespoke, efficient and effective local authority that works for all the people.

“If we want to replicate the confidence that businesses and citizens of Cork place in Cork, as shown by our continued growth pattern, then we must believe in our own confidence to build a unified local government structure that elevates Cork as the exemplar for the country.

“We can work together to create a local authority that suits Cork . . . By continuing the strong sense of co-operation that currently exists, we can and we will build a better Cork for the people who live and work here,” he said.