Councillors in major Cork town reject 'inadequate' budget for 2027

Carrigaline councillors said allocated funding of €8m would not support infrastructure needed to serve the 5,000 new homes projected to be built over the next five years

Councillors said the funding failed to reflect population growth, inflation, and increasing demands on roads, public services, and community facilities. File picture: Dan Linehan

Councillors in the greater Carrigaline area have rejected their 2027 municipal budget, warning it is incapable of providing services to support the rapid housing growth planned for the region.

More than 5,000 homes are expected to be built on already-zoned land over the next five years, including about 1,000 next year alone. It would result in an population increase for the area of an estimated 3,000 people.

However, the Carrigaline Municipal District has been allocated the same budget for 2027 as it received this year, at about €8m.

Councillors said the funding failed to reflect population growth, inflation, and increasing demands on roads, public services, and community facilities. 

They unanimously voted against the spending plan, describing it as inadequate and warning the district was already struggling to keep pace with development.

Municipal district chairman Jack White, a Fine Gael councillor, said the area had been "historically underfunded for many years" and required a significant increase in funding just to stand still.

He said the projected housing growth figures may even be a conservative estimate, with most of the new homes planned for Carrigaline, where concerns have already been raised about a lack of water and social infrastructure and the ability to cope with extra demand.

Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley said Crosshaven alone had seen about 200 homes built this year, with hundreds more in the pipeline. Meanwhile, the coastal village faces an increasing infrastructure deficit, she said. 

Ms Buckley described the allotted budget for 2027 as "not good enough", adding: "There are huge demands on us to provide more infrastructure enhancements and services. 

"We represent the people who need these and we are fighting for them. That is why we have to reject the budget."

Fine Gael councillor Una McCarthy said the planned development of the area could not continue at the pace forecasted without the municipal district council having the proper financial resources to support this.

“If the budget for next year was increased by 3% or 4% that might be something, but to keep it the same as this year is absolutely ludicrous,” said Ms McCarthy.

Eoghan Fahy, a Sinn Féin councillor based in Passage West, said: “We certainly won’t get the same level of services as it doesn’t even keep pace with inflation. We're already making it stretch for what we get."

Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Donovan urged local officials to go back to their bosses in County Hall and explain why they need more funding for next year.

“Otherwise, we simply won’t be able to provide the same level of services, and we also need to keep pace with development in the municipal area. I have to reject this budget,” he said.

Mr White said local council officials and engineers were doing the very best they could to stretch the already inadequate budget they are receiving. However, he added the poor level of funding could not be allowed to continue.

In recent weeks, council engineers have had to turn down repeated requests for traffic-calming works because the municipal district lacks the necessary funding.

Councillors described it as “deeply worrying” that Carrigaline did not have the recreational amenities to support the population already living there, let alone the growth due in coming years.

Members have repeatedly sought the development of a municipal sports complex and swimming pool, noting smaller towns such as Fermoy, Mallow and Dunmanway already have such facilities.