Evidence not emotion must prevail - Amalgamation proposals for Cork

THAT the report from a five-person committee asked to consider the amalgamation of Cork city and county councils submitted to Environment Minister Alan Kelly last week was adopted by the narrowest possible margin is not at all surprising. Indeed, any other outcome would have been entirely unexpected.

Three members of the committee — chairman Alf Smiddy, Tom Curran and John Lucey — supported the idea of a single authority, but their colleagues — Dermot Keogh and Theresa Reidy — opposed it.

The issue is very divisive and has raised a great number of deeply felt concerns that must be resolved before any change can be proposed seriously much less finalised. In that context, the proposal in the Smiddy report that “the appointment of a chief executive for the new authority is a priority issue and should be progressed as soon as possible,” is dangerously presumptuous and premature.