I welcome the Resident Participation Report and complement the Housing Directorate on this programme and Donal Guerin on his work. Civic participation is highly important in creating a sense of place, pride and identity in the city. The Resident Participation programme has hit a number of issues, which need to be looked at –

(1) difficulties in getting residents to overcome concerns such as victimisation, lack of time and a perception that other residents will let committee members do all the work

(2) difficulties with racism toward tenants

(3) difficulties with anti-social behaviour by young people

and (4) and a need for developing opportunities for resident groups to take more responsibility for their environment.

These are issues that the Council need to continue to look at and the new central government needs to look at seriously.

I would like to see a proper civic engagement inititaive like the Green Flag environment programmes in our schools. We expect people to go on committees where they have no background or exposure during their education at all to committee or even community work.

I agree with the directors report that we have to build upon the success of the community events on Bonfire night. But we ultimately need to do more with regard to protecting our green spaces in the city on this night.

We have approx 101 festival days in Cork City; one of those days unravels all the good work associated with the other 100 positive festival days. It’s not good enough that Cork makes national television news for this annual terrorism festival and gets no major coverage for the other 100 days.

 Motions:

To get a report on why BAM construction have not removed their hoarding erected on Penrose Quay? (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)

As per a previous motion in mid 2009, to ask the relevant directorate, when is the area around the town wall under the ramp under Kyrl’s Quay going to be cleaned up? (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)

Question to the City Manager:

To ask the manager about an update on the revamp of Christ Church and the redesign of the adjoining section of Bishop Lucey Park? (Cllr Kieran McCarthy)