Sir, – Frank McDonald (Opinion, August 17th), in advocating the retention of two local authorities for Cork – city and county – has, I believe, misread the nature of modern economic and regional development.
Global economic development is now being driven by dynamic city regions, combining dynamic cities and their hinterlands.
It is significant that Britain, whose economy is strongly driven by London and the south east, ie. the London city region, is now developing city regions in the north of England some of whom have populations greater than this State. The functions of local authorities there are being merged and these new city regions will compete intensely with the state for investment and talent.
This State has one city region, the four-county greater Dublin area. It has led the State in population and economic growth and in income per head.
As a candidate for development as a second city region, all Cork is tiny by global standards. One possible candidate, with suitable radically changed local administrative arrangements, would be a Cork/Waterford city region. Another is a possible Galway/Limerick city region.
To persist with outmoded local authority arrangements and incoherent regional development models risks condemning most of this State to being, in the future global economic context, a pleasant backwater.
– Yours, etc,
SEÁN MC DONAGH
Raheny,
Dublin 5.
Sir, – Frank McDonald writes well about the suggested merger model of Cork city and county councils. But it’s not just business life that would be adversely affected as per the Cork Business Association.
The citizens of Cork city, both within the old city boundary, and the many thousands of us city-folk “outside” this antiquated parameter, all would suffer from this merger due to lack of effective and transparent representation.
Cork County Council means very little to those of us who live in Cork city. How can it offer us meaningful authority and regulation when it is largely a rural construct? This proposed merger must be stoutly resisted and the city must be allowed to naturally expand to represent all its urban folk in the true and historical tradition of Cork City Council. Cork city with its current natural population of about 200,000 (as per the CSO) has been led by a Lord Mayor and not just a mayor as per the article. – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY MALONE
Douglas,
Co Cork.