July 2024
Hi, there! — Welcome to the twenty-eighth edition of my monthly newsletter to keep you up to date on my work for Cork City North East.
This month we have motions on promoting ‘over-the-shop’ living, rolling out Tree Preservation Orders across the city, and on voter education — as well as questions on the cost of illegally-dumped waste and updating the electoral register.
I’ve also included updates on the formation of a progressive alliance following the elections to Cork City Council, a masterplan for Murphy’s Rock, and efforts to secure Rory Gallagher’s famous Stratocaster for the public.
If there’s anything you want to get in touch about, or to let me know your thoughts and feedback on this newsletter, please feel welcome to email me any time at oliver.moran@greenparty.ie.
Please also remember to share this newsletter with your friends and neighbours in the ward.
Many thanks!
Oliver
p.s. You can use this link to easily read and share all my monthly newsletters ... oliver.ie/newsletter
Motions and notions
Ordinarily, each councillor can submit up to four motions each month to Cork City Council and ask two formal questions of the Chief Executive. One of these questions is asked at the Local Area Committee and must be about local operational matters.
However, because of the way that local elections fell this year, there were several meetings in quick succession over the course of June and July. This means there’s an omnibus of motions below that I moved across these meetings.
Before the deadline each month, I meet with my local group, the Cork City North Greens, and we agree motions and questions for the month ahead. We call this our “motions and notions” meeting :-)
If you have ideas or suggestions for a motion, or have a question you want asked, just let me know!
Or join the Cork City North Greens ... my.greenparty.ie
Questions
“To ask the Chief Executive the processes used by Cork City Council to maintain the accuracy of the electoral register?”
I also asked the following question at the meeting of Cork City Council on Monday, 24 June:
“To ask the Chief Executive the cost to Cork City Council of the collection of illegally dumped waste, on a yearly basis, including the staff costs associated; and if she will comment on the matter?”
Because of the local elections and the summer recess, the Local Area Committee is not meeting again until September.
Motions
“That Cork City Council will write to the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, outlining the severe difficulties in recruiting bus drivers in the city; the vital importance of recruiting bus drivers to meet the transport and climate action policies of the city, including as an EU Mission City; that Bus Éireann have informed elected members that a shortfall of 35 drivers exists to meet existing service levels, with 16 drivers currently in driver training with the company; that these recruitments will meet only existing service-level demands; that a very significant additional number of drivers will be required to meet the service-level for BusConnects Cork planned for 2025; and requests that his department consequently engages with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to remove barriers to the recruitment of drivers from overseas, including the addition of bus drivers to the Critical Skills Occupations List.”
“That the Corporate Policy Group will recommend to Cork City Council to provide by law for a directly-elected Lord Mayor of Cork in accordance with Section 47 of the Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2024.”
“That Cork City Council will develop specific strategies to educate the 17% of ordinary residents of the city who are not Irish citizens of their right to vote in local elections.”
“That Cork City Council will provide a continuous footpath on Barnavara Hill, Glanmire connecting the existing footpath at the junction with The Avenue to the existing footpath at New Inn.”
“That Cork City Council will report on high-level options to improve pedestrian infrastructure on the Middle Glanmire Road (including the vicinity of Leycester’s Lane) and Lover’s Walk; that this report will consider the historic nature and topography of the area; and that it will examine options that include changes or restrictions on the movement of motor traffic to prioritise active travel and reduce unnecessary through-traffic as appropriate.”
“That Cork City Council will apply a Tree Preservation Order to all areas zoned as a Landscape Preservation Zone for reason of tree canopy, to compliment the objectives of the Cork City Development Plan in preserving the amenity of these areas.”
“That Cork City Council will modify the sequencing of pedestrians signals at junctions with one-way streets (e.g. the junction of Bridge Street and Patrick’s Quay) to allow a green signal for pedestrians on one side (e.g. the Patrick’s Quay side when crossing from Bridge Street to Patrick’s Bridge) when a red signal is shown to one-way motor traffic (e.g. on Patrick’s Quay).”
“That Cork City Council will develop and promote its own ‘Living Over the Shop’ scheme for businesses and property owners to make effective use of vacant ‘over-the-shop’ spaces for housing; that this scheme will include providing advice and support in navigating regulations, grants and other finance options, and best practices to enable owners bring such spaces back into use.”
What’s happening?
A new progressive alliance
Thank you to everyone who gave me your trust again for a second term to work for you as councillor for the North East ward.
The Green Party in Cork retained three seats in the 2024 local election — unfortunately losing my party colleague, Colette Finn, but gaining a new councillor in Honoré Kamegni, the first person of colour elected to Cork City Council.
My colleagues, Dan Boyle and Honoré Kamegni, have been elected Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor.
I have been re-elected as chair of the Climate Action Committee. Labour and the Green Party have also agreed to share the chair of the Transport & Mobility policy committee over the five-year term.
The Green Party and Labour also reached an agreement with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on priorities heading into the 2024–29 council term:
Inclusion equality and integration for everyone who calls Cork home.
A vibrant climate resilient, revitalised and safe city centre.
Upgrading suburban public realm with a major emphasis on footpath renewal.
Adjustment of the Local Property Tax with funding to be ring-fenced for footpath maintenance equally divided across the five Local Electoral Areas.
Commitment to ensuring a multi-annual budget for playground development for the city centre and the five Local Area Committees.
Exploring the setting up of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) with city centre traders including the organising of meetings and visits to BIDs already established in Dublin and Scotland.
To establish a policy sub-committee on dereliction and to promote over-the-shop living that will meet at least quarterly.
Roads & Transportation policy committee to be renamed Transport & Mobility.
The Green Party, Labour and Social Democrats councillors have also agreed to work together as a group during this council term. This means a Progressive Alliance of seven councillors is now the second-largest grouping on Cork City Council, reversing predictions ahead of the local elections.
If you can, join the meetings of Cork City Council when they are broadcast online at 5:30pm on the second Monday of every month.
Masterplan for Murphy’s Rock
Cork City Council is beginning a process of developing masterplans for three areas on the northside of the city. The areas are Shandon, Blackpool village and an area from the N20 to Kilcully Bridge taking in North Blackpool and Kilbarry, including Murphy’s Rock.
These masterplans will be prepared with public consultation over the course of 18 months about how the areas will be developed for housing, industry and amenities.
The city development plan already includes zonings and written objectives for these areas, including to protect the natural and social heritage of Murphy’s Rock:
To establish the Glenamought River Valley Park as a key green and blue infrastructure asset by safeguarding and enhancing its function as a linear wildlife corridor and riverside amenity. Development within this area shall safeguard access to the riverside, protect biodiversity and preserve this ecological and visually sensitive asset. Consideration will be given to existing historic, cultural and social landmarks and their integration into any enhanced future riverside park.
These are objectives that I was able to include as part of the development plan in 2022.
As well as Murphy’s Rock, the North Blackpool/Kilbarry area also includes lands that the Land Development Agency (LDA) is receiving from the IDA for the purpose of housing. The LDA has already met with local residents and I hope these engagements will continue as plans develop.
The Northern Distributor Road is also expected to pass through this area.
The masterplan will now flesh all of this out in a more practical sense beginning with the appointment of consultants to run the process. The entire process will take about 18 months, including consultation with communities.
Rory Gallagher’s guitar
This month, it was announced that the famous Fender Stratocaster purchased by Rory Gallagher on Merchants Quay in 1963 will be sold later this year.
Many people have asked if the city would purchase the guitar, which has a connection with the North East ward. The legendary musician was raised on MacCurtain Street.
Currently, Cork City Council owns a replica of the guitar, which is on display at the Rory Gallagher Music Library at the city library on Grand Parade.
I’ve spoken with the Lord Mayor on the matter and the city is interested in acquiring the guitar. However, this will involve behind-the-scenes discussions. There is also the potential to involve private money to assist with the purchase, for which tax incentives exist.
A crowd-funding page has also been set up, with over €25,000 raised already by Sheena Crowley of Crowley’s Music Centre, daughter of Michael Crowley, who sold the guitar to a 15-year-old Rory Gallagher in 1963.
As you can imagine, these discussions are sensitive as they involve negotiations over price. Eventually, I would be hopeful that the purchase will happen but it will require both demonstrations of public demand and quiet negotiation.
In the news…
“Don’t hold back the basic because you want the Rolls-Royce”: Calls for more public toilets in Cork
Speaking at the council meeting, Green Party councillor, Oliver Moran, said he felt “energy has been lost behind the strategy”.
Echo, Thursday, 11 July
Bus Eireann recruitment shortage in Cork city “a disaster”
Green Party councillor, Oliver Moran, has submitted an urgent motion outlining the severe difficulties in recruiting bus drivers in the city.
96fm, Wednesday, 3 July
Councillors agree €22m plan to install 700 public EV chargers in Cork City by 2030
Green Party councillor, Oliver Moran, said the strategy gives EV owners and potential owners certainty about some of the most important questions.
Irish Examiner, Friday, 5 June
Keep in touch
Thanks for reading! Please feel welcome to share this newsletter and invite other people you know to subscribe — and, if you can, please consider making a donation to my political activities in the ward.
You can also keep up to date with my activities on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Mastodon and TikTok. And don’t forget, you can email me any time at oliver.moran@greenparty.ie.
Have a great month!
