Housing Minister Simon Coveney: Exciting developments for Cork city

Cork City will see the most exciting developments since independence over the next two decades with huge growth and investment which will transform its landscape, Housing Minister Simon Coveney said.

A series of areas in Cork and other counties are also likely to be declared rent pressure zones (RPZs) in the coming weeks, which will allow for rate increases to be capped at 4% a year.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Coveney said: “I have a very ambitious vision for Cork. I think as a city, the next 20 years will be the most exciting since independence for Cork city. I think we are going to see a dramatic increase in our population, I think we are going to see a lot of economic growth, a lot of investment from Irish companies as well as multi-nationals.

“I think we will see all sorts of new public transport networks linked to that increased urban population living in the city.”

He said he believed Cork city was very suitable for a light rail system but would need the population density to justify such a project. This may be achieved by the 8,000 to 12,000 people who are expected to move into the docklands once development is complete there.

Mr Coveney spoke about expanding pressure rent zones outside of Dublin and Cork city, areas approved just before Christmas.

“When you start to measure on the basis of electoral areas within local authority areas, there will be lots of RPZs designated,” the minister said.

“Ballincollig is likely to come in, the Glanmire to Tower area is likely to come in too,” he added.

Parts of commuter counties around Dublin would also be approved, and Galway City.

“If you take them as the whole county, they don’t quite meet the criteria, but if you break it up into local authority areas, you will see towns like Naas, Navan, Dunshaughlin, Maynooth, depending on their local electoral area, certainly some of those areas will be coming in as RPZs,” he said.