Lord Mayor,

There are many positives items in this progress report. A lot of work has been done – housing, roads, environment, planning. Many of the directorates have benefitted in particular by a driven and talented director and engineers with a genuine interest in not only their job but also the city and region. It’s not an easy job to head up such large units and credit is due to them.

However, there are darker economic roads ahead that will require much more thinking outside of the box and steady, positive and energetic leadership.

I still think that as a place and region, Cork should fight for more of its share nationally.

The Cork Area Strategic Plan of 2001, ten years ago was commissioned to provide a framework to enable Cork to become a leading European City-Region- globally competitive, socially inclusive and culturally enriched.

I think in a local context, the Council is doing well but in the that aura of European significance, I’m not too sure; I feel we’re not doing enough to secure it.

CASP calls for building upon Cork’s many assets and remarkable strengths. It speaks about its people, environment, transport infrastructure, world class industries and educational establishments. But I still think we’re under selling ourselves.

CASP talks about an additional 19,000 new jobs in the city by 2020 but in 2011 26, 249 are unemployed. CASP talks about reversing population decline in the city centre by creating hubs like the docklands – but where are we now with docklands.

CASP talks about a region interconnected, a city with county nodal points – with a strong proper transport infrastructure plus socially and culturally strong… at the heart of which is a strong and modern European city

CASP talks about a vision for Cork as one of 3 counter magnets to Dublin – to create a southern functional area – its sees the city as an engine for growth through docklands and from 2013 to 2020 that the Docklands would be built.

Lord Mayor, with all those statements, one can argue work done for each one but what has changed is the economic variations.

So moving forward the big question is how can this city move forward in light of the present economic circumstance and become a regional gateway city?

How can this city continue or enhance the idea of innovation in every aspect of its evolution?

How can this city become that strong core for the region? One can now travel on a motorway to Cahir in over an hour and sure if there is a flyer up there saying that there are 100 festival days in the city, I’d be surprised. The city should be ambitious enough to target new markets

Plus there is a strong need to review CASP and build a new future plan where the economic variable and not aimlessly wander on to 2014 and 2020 to the end of the development plan and CASP respectively.