While the blending of Cork City Council and Cork County Council into one ‘super council’ is being welcomed in some quarters, there are many who think it an unwise move.
Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin expresses his fear that the status of Cork City would be undermined, but what affect will it have for our county towns, our villages and rural areas?
The plan is to merge the two councils into one authority with three divisions – Cork Metropolitan, Cork North and East and Cork West and South.
One Labour senator claims this new authority would create the conditions for Cork to act as ‘a counterweight to the Dublin and the East coast region’ in terms of attracting investment and employment opportunities.
However, the Cork Council of Trade Unions on the other hand, sees it as a further erosion of local democracy and a dismantling of Local Government and democratic representation as has happened with the abolishment of Town Councils.
