Rebels fail to find the funds for ‘Certificate of Corkness’ plan
A lack of bobs, as natives of the self-declared People’s Republic of Cork would say, has scuppered plans to introduce a Cork passport.
In a report to city councillors this week, officials said that they just don’t have the resources to do it this year.
The passport, or ‘Certificate of Corkness’ idea, made national headlines and lit up Twitter when it was proposed by Fine Gael Cllr Laura McGonigle last year.
She suggested that the passport would be made available to people outside Cork who want their Rebel roots officially recognised.
It was modelled on the Government’s Certificate of Irish Heritage scheme, which is targeting the estimated 700 million Irish diaspora.
Ms McGonigle said the Cork passport could target the ‘Lee-aspora’, and in challenging economic times, could be used by the city council to generate much-needed revenue which could be ring-fenced for charitable or other projects.
She liked her own idea so much that she bought and registered the domain name www.corkpassport.com.
But in a report to council this week, city officials said it just won’t get off the ground this year.
“The promotion of Cork and the linking of people’s identity to this place through a city council project is a very attractive and engaging proposal,” the city’s head of corporate and external affairs, Valerie O’Sullivan, said.
“It has the potential to deliver a great deal of media attention to the city, if communicated clearly and strategically to both national and international media, particularly in those parts of the world where there are significant populations of Cork descent.
“At this time, as project planning and budgeting takes place during the final quarter of each calendar year, resources do not allow us to implement this project,” she said.
“However the potential of the project to deliver a great deal to the city is recognised,” she added.
Officials are now set to “explore ways in which the project might be supported” and they will report back to council if funds become available.
