Local jobs plan needed for North Cork town 'at risk of becoming a dormitory for elsewhere'

Around 1,000 people travel daily from Mallow to work in Little Island alone, with more commuting to work in Cork city

Main Street in Mallow, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

A plan is being drawn up to attract more industry to one of North Cork's major towns, amid fears it risks becoming a 'dormitory town' with many residents travelling lengthy daily commutes to jobs elsewhere.

It has been estimated that 1,000 people travel daily from Mallow to work in Little Island alone, with more commuting to work in Cork city and further afield.

The county council is to contact the IDA and Enterprise Ireland and speak with local stakeholders about ways of attracting more industries to the town.

This comes after Fine Gael councillor Liam Madden told a council meeting in Mallow that a strategic review is needed on the jobs front.

He said huge money is being spent making the town a more attractive place to live, such as developments of the castle grounds, walking trails, new sports facilities and a planned theatre in the former town hall.

However, he said, as more houses are being built in Mallow, local jobs are needed. The growing population will also soon put pressure on schools, he added.

Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Hayes concurred.

“We have lost Nestlé, the sugar factory, and a lot of Dairygold jobs which we haven’t replaced, and there needs to be a more concentrated effort put into addressing this,” he said.

“We need a clear vision for further development. More emphasis needs to be put on attracting more businesses. There are 1,000 cars leaving Mallow every morning for Little Island because there are no jobs here,” Mr Hayes added.

He pointed out that major upgrades of the town’s water and wastewater infrastructure are enabling a lot of house building in the town, and its population is increasing all the time.

“We are now about the third biggest town in the county and the main one in North Cork. We should concentrate on attracting more jobs in the food sector, as we have all the materials for it here. We have to provide more jobs locally to create a sustainable town,” Mr Hayes said.

Labour councillor Ronan Sheehan said projections show that Mallow will soon reach a population of 16,000, and more local jobs have to be created.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gearóid Murphy, who is chairman of the Mallow/Kanturk Municipal District Council, said that Mallow will become increasingly attractive when its planned northern bypass and the M20 motorway between Limerick and Cork are completed.

“We have such a big rural hinterland as well, and new industry would benefit that. People should be able to work closer to where they live, and that would boost the local economy as well. It’s (new industry) is the missing piece of the puzzle,” he said.

Municipal district officer Claire Barr said the council is seeking to “sustainably strengthen the employment-led growth and town centre-led regeneration of Mallow as a regional economic driver, leverage its strategic location and accessibility on inter-regional road and rail networks to build upon inherent strengths, in particular food production and tourism potential, while protecting and enhancing the natural environment of the Blackwater Valley".