Cork potential being ‘ignored’

The Government has been accused of ignoring the huge potential for jobs creation in the dairy foods sector in Cork, as funding in the county’s roads network continues to plummet.

A recent report compiled by Cork Institute of Technology experts envisaged the county emerging as an international hub for milk production and creating up to 4,000 jobs as a result of the lifting of the EU quota system.

The report, however, advised that dairy development was dependent on improving rural roads, in particular.

But Cork’s county councillors were told the Government had allocated €4m less for 2015. Among “some glaring omissions”, was the face not a single cent was approved for West Cork’s N71, the sole national secondary road in he region.

Aidan Weir, acting director of the roads services, said that, on the positive side, a further €5m was allocated for purchasing land for the long-awaited N22 (Ballyvourney/Macroom) bypass and funding had been set aside to prepare an Environmental Impact Study and land acquisition survey on the proposed Cork-Ringaskiddy road. He conceded the decrease in non-national roads grants was “a bit of a disappointment”.

Cllr Andrias Moynihan (FF) said, in reality, €18.5m was needed to acquire all the land earmarked, noting it was €32.2m, down 20% in the past three years. Cllr Mary Hegarty (FG) said the report should be handed to the Government, while Cllr Christopher O’Sullivan (FF) pointed to the absence of funds for the N71, on the Wild Atlantic Way route.

Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) said the N71 was “a nightmare”. “Are TDs are doing nothing about it? One said he’d write to the Taoiseach, he can’t be on good terms with him, God help us.” Cllr Michael Collins (Ind) said all three government TDs in West Cork “had not lobbied hard enough”.