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Cork Local Government Review – Why Cork Chamber believes a Unitary Authority is the right choice for Cork The Cork Local Government Statutory Committee was established in January 2015 to carry out an objective independent review of local government arrangements in Cork City and County Cork and subsequently the report and associated recommendations were announced by Minister Alan Kelly T.D. and Chairman Mr. Alf Smiddy on September 8th 2015
Cork Chamber fully supports the overarching recommendation to create a unified local authority structure in Cork, with a strong metropolitan division at its core which will provide Cork with the winning formula to speak with one strong voice and will ensure that our remarkable region remains centre-stage.
The purpose of this communication is to summarise for you, our member, why Cork Chamber believes a unitary authority is the right choice for Cork. |
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Why Cork Chamber believes a unitary authority is the right choice for Cork
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- Ability to communicate a single, consistent and united powerful voice for the Cork region;
- Greater focus on economic development through combining and alignment of resources within Metro Cork for the entire Region
- Enhanced capacity for advocacy and lobbying on National Policy issues relevant to Cork – speaking with one strong, united Cork voice;
- Potential for a single coordinated vision for economic development and by sector eg tourism for the region
- Provide an effective counter-balance and complement to Dublin and the eastern sea-board
- Consistency and uniformity for the business sector in accessing enterprise supports
- Faster, more effective decision making
- Contribution to Cork’s role in the world economy and ability to promote a strong international image as a Region of appropriate scale
- Potential for devolution of powers and functions from central government
In addition, a unitary authority has less formal legal barriers to implementation than boundary extension. The balance of power and authority with respect to a unitary authority will be weighted in favour of the Metropolitan Area, protecting the City which will act as the key economic driver for the region.
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It is fundamental that we are in a position to speak with one strong united voice on behalf of a population in excess of 500,000 people
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This will unleash opportunities which catapult us on to the world stage and empower us to compete as an international location of substance with some of the best second tier cities on the globe. We should not put ourselves in a position where our relative competiveness is not optimised, so retaining the status quo is not a feasible option. Cork Chamber strongly endorses the committee's recommendation to establish a strong metropolitan division at the core of the unified authority, as the optimal solution for Cork. An expanded Metropolitan area will be the key driver of economic growth into the future, which will maximise the benefits for all. In particular, the proposal to introduce a specific and enhanced economic development portfolio is also a very positive step With Cork now recommended to assume the position of the largest local authority in the State and with specific recommendations regarding the devolution of power in the future, we now need to seize this opportunity to innovate for Cork, take the necessary risks and transform 21st century local government within our exceptional region in the months and years ahead.
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This is a unique opportunity for the citizens and stakeholders in Cork
We look forward to working collectively with government, local government and other stakeholders to make this a reality. This is a unique opportunity for the citizens and stakeholders in Cork to now prioritise and position our region as an international location of substance for economic development, with a recognised and valuable contribution to make to the national, European and World economies. It is now time to embrace change and fully grasp the opportunity For further information and links to Cork Chamber’s commentary on this issue, please visit here
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