Full access for Cork council merger review team

The expert group charged with reviewing Cork’s local government will have access to all documents compiled by the committee that recommended the controversial merger of the city and county councils.

Local Government Minister, Simon Coveney, has included the ‘full access’ reference in the new advisory group’s terms of reference, despite the State’s refusal to release most of the documentation, under Freedom of Information legislation, over the past 12 months.

However, the city council, which sought access to the documents — as part of its legal challenge to the 2015 Smiddy group’s recommendation — is still pursuing judicial proceedings.