Kieran’s Speech/ Comments

Council Chamber, 9 November 2009

Lord Mayor, this year the city commemorates 25 years since the closure of two of Cork’s biggest employers, Fords and Dunlops. 25 years later through rebuilding, boom and bust, we’re back to the high unemployment figure.

On page 5 – the graph reads 26, 532 in metropolitan Cork on the live register, three times the amount of unemployment since 2006 – I call on the Council to focus on that figure. I would like to hear what the Council is doing to provide opportunities to unemployed people.

On page 9 is the rent problems, the national average says that rents are down 18.7 % this year- My second concern is the 600 businesses in the city and making sure they survive this recession. I have major concerns that if rates are pushed higher, we’ll push traders out of the city to the privately owned shopping centres. According to the report, we have 15% vacant office space in the city centre.

I would also like to hear what are the Council’s approaches to dealing with rates and rents of our 600 businesses that are now struggling to make ends meet.

Kieran’s Comments/ Speech,

Re: Cornmarket Street Redevelopment,

Council Chamber, 9 November 2009

This is a significant proposal that will ultimately change the layout of one of Cork’s main streets.

Lord Mayor here we have another historic street, A street with the same vintage as Opera lane, formerly Faulkners Lane

Cornmarket Street began its life as a canal, arched over in the 1760s. The original  cornmarket was placed there circa 1720 and an elaborate structure put there and still there, part of which is occupied by Loft Carpet Shop, cleaned up and looking shiny whilst the other half has vegetation and blackened limestone

These all sit next to the an image of the Cork Coat of Arms, one of the towers on the coat of arms, Queen’s Castle was discovered at the intersection with Cornmarket Street with Castle Street during the Cork Main Drainage.

Intermix that with institutions such as Musgraves, St. Paul’s Church, the Bridewell, oral histories and one gets a cocktail of nostalgia dating back 500 years. So I feel whatever we do needs to be sensitively done in terms of enhancing the memories of the street, which are still quite present in the Cork psyche. Of all the streets in Cork, the memory bank of this street is held in high esteem by citizens. The right message needs to be sent out here and the right expertise employed that this cultural heritage and asset is not lost but harnessed for the good of the city.

I’m also conscious that it’s still a living street for business, one that has seen its fair share of dereliction and anti-social behaviour. Representations made to myself by the Cornmarket Street Business Association highlight a number of valid concerns

Firstly, at present there is a serious anti-social issue in Daltons Avenue / Paul’s Avenue in the vicinity of Corporation Buildings, spilling out on to Cornmarket Street ongoing on a daily basis.  Large groups of people are gathering in the areas day and night in on-street drinking binges,

Debris consisting of beer cans, bottles, wine bottles, vodka bottles human feces and huge amounts of litter are there for anyone to see.

Secondly, Gardai have communicated with City Council outlining their considerable difficulties with having this canopy on the street. They have outlined their lack of resources to police and control such activities.

Thirdly, there is the issue of parking. There are at present approx’ 40 legal pay Parking spaces together with 2 loading bays and 4 disabled spaces on the Street. Under this proposal it is envisaged that all parking would be removed.

Fourthly, there is a also a call to regulate the type of goods sold on the street, with a view to eliminating, where possible the sale of counterfeit items and, where possible to  prohibit any  items to be sold by casual traders which undermine the existing businesses of Rate-paying / tax compliant, employing shopkeepers / retailers. There is no economic benefit either to the coffers of the City Council or to the economy of the greater city in this proposal.

There are also a number of other concerns that the permanent traders have on the street. Where with regard to the city manager’s request, I would like that further consultation especially with the business community on that street take place. This seems to be another situation where communication between Council and the business community is blurred and needs more partnership and co-operation. I would like to get the manager’s thoughts and views on that.

Motions 9 November 2009:

That “road” flower pots be introduced to the immediate external environs of Douglas Pool and the environs of Blackrock Pier. That this be pursued in an effort to enhance their respective dilapidated conditions (Cllr K. McCarthy).

As an incentive to boost trading in Cork City and to help traders in these difficult economic times, that this Council would offer 2 hours free parking in the Council’s two public carparks on Saturday mornings from 9 am to 11am on a trial period in early spring 2010, a period of time to be agreed upon (Cllr K. McCarthy).

Question to City Manager, 9 November 2009

With regard to the impending closure of the Kino Cinema, what can the Council do to make sure such a cultural asset, which is also linked to the productive and very positive Cork Film Festival, does not close? (Cllr K. McCarthy)

Cork has been named in the top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2010 according to the influential Lonely Planet tour guide, being placed 3rd behind such  prestigous company as Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Charleston USA and ahead of Istanbul, Lecce, Kyoto and Singapore.

The guide described Cork as:

“Sophisticated, vibrant and diverse while still retaining its friendliness, relaxed charm and quickfire wit, Cork buzzes with the energy of a city that’s certain of its place in Ireland. Indeed, so confident is the former ‘Rebel City’ that locals only half-jokingly refer to it as the ‘People’s Republic of Cork’. The city has long been dismissive of Dublin and with a burgeoning arts, music and restaurant scene, it’s now getting a cultural reputation to rival the capital’s.

The River Lee flows around the centre, an island packed with grand Georgian parades, cramped 17th-century alleys and modern masterpieces such as the opera house. The flurry of urban renewal that began with the city’s stint in 2005 as European Capital of Culture continues apace, with new buildings, bars and arts centres springing up all over town. The best of the city is still happily traditional though – snug pubs with live music sessions most of the week, excellent local produce in an ever-expanding list of restaurants and a genuinely proud welcome from the locals.”