THE Dominican Brothers at Saint Mary’s church on Popes Quay this week celebrated the addition of four young novices to their order.
At a special ceremony, the four men who range in age from 24 to 31, were clothed in the Dominican habit to mark the commencement of their novitiate year.
Three of the novices come from a teaching background with Kevin Leavy from Co Roscommon a former secondary school principal and Maurice White, a native of Trinidad and Tobago where the Irish Dominicans have had a mission for over 100 years, a former teacher.

At St. Mary’s popes Quay for the Reception of four new Novices into the Dominican Order from L to R., Maurice White, Kellan Scott, Kevin Leavy and Anthony Kavanagh. Picture, Tony O’Connell Photography.

Anthony Kavanagh, a native of Dublin also worked in the teaching profession before joining the Dominicans while the youngest novice; Kellan Scott, 24, from Dublin has recently
graduated from Trinity College.
The reception of these four men means that the Irish Dominicans have 15 men in various stages of ‘formation’ and hope to have a number of ordinations to the priesthood next summer, Fr Gerard Dunne, prior of the order said.
“The generosity of these four men is a positive sign for vocations in Ireland and a reminder that many men generously consider priesthood in these times,” he said.
The addition of the four novices comes a week after the St Mary’s community celebrated the solemn profession, or life commitment, of two of their brothers in Dublin. Shandon native Brother Patrick Desmond joined the order in 2009.
Brother Kevin O’Reilly from Dublin was a novice in Cork in 2011 to 2012.
The Dominicans in Pope’s Quay are celebrating 175 years of existence in the city of Cork this year and the Dominican Order will celebrate its 800th anniversary of its foundation next
year.

Brown Thomas Cork hosted their Autumn Winter Season Launch in store with a fashion show this week.

Sarah Morrissey wears Red Valentino Dress €695, Valentino Rock Stud Heels €720 , Maria Boardman wears Roland Mouret Eugene Open Back Top €420, Roland Mouret Arreton Crepe Pencil Skirt €510, Valentino Rock Stud Heels €720 and Teodora Sutra wears Maje Black Cape €265, Maje Knit Dress €265, Maje Suede Belt €95, Nine West Heels €90 
pictures by Gerard McCarthy.

New brands  this season include Roland Mouret, Sportmax, Cocoa Cashmere, Harris Wharf, Finders Keepers, Maison Scotch, Rae Feather and Paige Denim; with Isabel Marant a welcome addition to shoes,
In accessories Kate Spade and Salvatore Ferragamo have been  introduced. 

This season’s key trends include Retro Futuristic, Couture Construction, Gothic Girl, Op Art and Grandma’s Dressing Up Box. The wealth of rich, jewel-inspired hues kept the catwalks alight ensuring AW15 veers away from dullness.

Diane Von Furstenberg Seduction Wrap Dress €620, Carvela Black Suede Over Knee Boots €230

Traditional autumnal colours were re styled with golds, emerald greens and sapphire blues.

A 3D installation transformed the College of Commerce last night as part of a hugely successful Culture Night.

Cork Ignite brings College of Commerce to life on Culture Night. Led by National Sculpture Factory and Create, artist Simon McKeown collaborated with Cork based disability groups for this commission by Cork City Council with partners, The Arts Council and Arts & Disability Ireland. www.corkignite.com
Picture Clare Keogh

Crowds flooded Union Quay to see the  building   illuminated with a variety of projections.Cork Ignite, a 3D animation project by artist Simon McKeown, was arguably one of the highlights of the annual night, with hundreds of families watching as the façade of Cork’s College of Commerce was lit up with different images.

The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Chris O’Leary has written and long open letter to the people of the city in which he levels sharp criticism at a report recommending the merger of Cork city and county councils.

He has strong words too for Environment Minister Alan Kelly, criticising the “haste” with which the Minister announced support for the report’s recommended merger of the two councils.

Cllr O’Leary writes: “On September 8, the committee’s report was seen for the first time by myself and the chief executive (of Cork City Council).

“That same day the Minister for the Environment stated that he supported the recommendations of the report and that he would recommend the merger of Cork city and county to the next meeting of Cabinet, most likely on Tuesday next the 22nd September 2015.

“The haste with which the Minister came to this momentous conclusion can mean only one of two things – either the Minister had knowledge of what the recommendations of the committee would be for quite some time before the supposed deliberation process was completed, or that he made his mind up to abolish Cork City Council as an entity almost on receipt of the recommendations.

“Either scenario gives serious cause for concern. And make no mistake about it – what is proposed here is the abolition of Cork City Council.”

He adds: “To think that this legacy could be obliterated at the stroke of the Minister’s pen is more than worrying. Of even greater concern is that the recommendation in favour of this dramatic shift in this City’s fortunes was decided on the vote of one individual.

“Surely such a momentous decision deserved greater transparency and a far more definitive argument for its conclusions.”

Cork City Council is to seek a judicial review of the administrative actions of the review group which recommended the controversial merger and is also expected to become the first local authority to challenge the constitutionality of government policy in relation to combining local authority areas.

On this topic, the Lord Mayor writes the decision to mount the legal challenge was arrived at “reluctantly” and: “…Local governance is about more than housing and public lighting or potholes and broken footpaths. It is about representation at the closest level to the citizen. It’s about having a say in your own affairs. It’s about democracy!”

He also refers to “a groundswell of important voices adding to the concern of the quality of the argument presented in the report in favour of the merger” and said it was very worring that there was no way to appeal the decision to support the report’s recommendations.

OPEN LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF CORK BY THE LORD MAYOR OF CORK, COUNCILLOR CHRIS O’LEARY:

“As Lord Mayor of Cork, I feel compelled to write this open letter to the citizens of Cork concerning the recent outcome of the Cork Local Government Review process and the Elected Members unprecedented unanimous instruction to the city’s Chief Executive to challenge that outcome in the courts.

“That decision I can assure you was not easily arrived at. However, given what was at stake, the Council was given little option but to take the action it has embarked upon.

“On September 08th the Committee’s report was seen for the first time by myself and the Chief Executive. That same day the Minister for the Environment stated that he supported the recommendations of the Report and that he would recommend the merger of Cork city and county to the next meeting of Cabinet, most likely on Tuesday next the 22nd September 2015.

“The haste with which the Minister came to this momentous conclusion can mean only one of two things. Either the Minister had knowledge of what the recommendations of the Committee would be for quite some time before the supposed deliberation process was completed. Or that he made his mind up to abolish Cork City Council as an entity almost on receipt of the recommendations.

“Either scenario gives serious cause for concern. And make no mistake about it – what is proposed here is the abolition of Cork City Council.

“Now I am not so naive as to believe that there are not many legitimate criticisms of what this Council delivers. To express concern about public services and management is part of the democratic process and is one of the mechanisms by which we seek to improve what we do.

“But local governance is about more than housing and public lighting or potholes and broken footpaths. It is about representation at the closest level to the citizen. It’s about having a say in your own affairs. It’s about democracy!

“This Council is the successor of institutions which have governed Cork since 1185 when the first city Charter was granted to Cork. The City itself, of course, dates back to its foundation in 609 AD with the establishment of a hermitage on the south bank of the River Lee by St. Finbarr.

“As part of its struggle for independence, this Council also played a central role and was the chosen platform for McCurtain and McSweeney in legitimising the democratic mandate for our country’s freedom which culminated in the establishment of the first Dail in 1919.

“The Council has played an important role in the cultural and artistic life of the City and the County and has been recognised for the value which it confers on its citizen’s lives and was awarded Local Authority of the Year 2005.

“To think that this legacy could be obliterated at the stroke of the Minister’s pen is more than worrying. Of even greater concern is that the recommendation in favour of this dramatic shift in this City’s fortunes was decided on the vote of one individual. Surely such a momentous decision deserved greater transparency and a far more definitive argument for its conclusions.

“Unlike most other important administrative processes which have the potential of profound impact , this process had no provision for rebuttal of the arguments which formed the basis for the decision and more worryingly, no provision for appeal to any appellate body.

“The only option remaining to the City Council to preserve local government in the City was to follow the legal route. Reluctantly myself and two other members of Council signed the Order requiring that the Chief Executive commence legal proceedings to test the validity of the Committee’s decision and this process will take a step further at next Tuesdays Council meeting scheduled to begin one minute after midnight.

“Of equal concern is the current government policy under putting people first, which has overseen the amalgamation of Limerick City and County Council, Tipperary North & South Riding, Waterford City and County and currently Galway City and County (which, by the way, is undergoing a completely different process to consider its options than that which was used for Cork).

“The policy document itself has been criticised strongly by the European Council, which argues that these moves are flying in the face of the principle of subsidiarity. In other words, it is taking democracy further away from the citizens which is purports to serve. This concern is echoed by Minister Kelly’s own Party Leader who has publicly stated that “….the clear preference for the Labour Party is for local government is to be as local as possible”.

“The entire Putting People First reform process has gone unchallenged long enough and when its true impact across the entire state is felt over the next number of years, it will be unquestionably too late to reverse. It is also the Council’s intention to challenge this ideology in our courts, which reflects the concerns shared by a growing number of local authorities.

“I think it is important to let you know that had the work of the Committee delivered a robust and undeniable argument in favour of a merger, I would not be putting this letter before you. My genuine and heartfelt ambition is only what is best for Cork.

“However, there is now a groundswell of important voices adding to the concern of the quality of the argument presented in the report in favour of the merger and, more worrying, the apparent dismissal of the minority report and its consignment to the backend of the actual report itself.

“The President of U.C.C., Dr. Michael Murphy is quoted as saying: “I have met nobody who would hold the view that the status quo is in the best interest of the region. At least that is agreed. But the matter of which of the two options, is one that doesn’t need to be determined in 48 hours, or even 48 days”.

“I welcome also recent comments attributed to Minister Simon Coveney where he said that “ We need to have cool heads and a balanced look at this report as opposed to rushing to a decision”

At the very least, one would have expected that a City as ancient as Cork, a government structure with as much relevance as Cork City Council and a population in both City and County of proud Corkonians would have deserved better.

“The paucity of substantial evidence for the merger proposition is glaring. Of further concern is the assumption by certain quarters of the business community that a merger will lead to significant economic development, jobs growth and more efficient decision making, while at the same time suggesting that a substantially expanded metropolitan Cork would not offer similar or indeed better opportunities.

“The vast weight of evidence supports the assertion that cities of a certain scale act as pivotal drivers of economic growth, both for themselves and, invariably, for their wider hinterlands.

“Our argument is not to overturn the decision of the report but to have a process in which we can all have confidence – one which is transparent and truly reflective of the diverse opinions to which this issue must inevitably give rise.

“Most important of all, it should be what would be best for this City and this County for 50 years into the future. It is my unequivocal belief, and that of my colleagues in the Council chamber, that the process that has just been completed has abjectly failed to meet those fundamental criteria.

“Be under no illusions – what is being proposed here means an end to democratic accountability within the City of Cork and, in my view, amounts to an impetuous and reckless act of political vandalism.

“No one, whether in the City or the County, should feel comfortable standing aside and watching this happen. To paraphrase Edmund Burke, the famous Irish political philosopher, “the only thing necessary for wrong to triumph, is for good men to do nothing”.

“For Cork City Council doing nothing to halt this travesty is no longer an option.”

DEBILITATING pain can stop someone in their tracks, but one Cork mum is determined not to let a rare neurological condition define who she is.
Marlane O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old mother to seven-year-old Hayley, was diagnosed at 15 with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, which affects one-in-2,500 people.

Marlane O’Sullivan who suffers from Charcot -Marie -Tooth disease with her daughter Hayley in Midleton.  Picture:Des Barry

It causes weakness in the feet, ankles, legs and hands, leads to muscle wastage and frequent falls due to coordination problems.
Despite all the problems that can manifest with CMT, Marlane incredibly took to the stage as a fitness competitor in Cork and Limerick this year, following a gruelling weight training regime.
September is International CMT Awareness Month and Marlane, who lives in Midleton, said she wanted to talk about it publicly. She added that she felt it was her duty to show solidarity with others suffering with CMT.
The business and marketing graduate said:
“It’s a bit daunting putting it out there for everyone to see but I’ve hidden it for a long time. When people ask why I’m limping, I used say I pulled a muscle.
“But I’m starting to be more open about it now as I want to be a positive role model for Hayley. The condition has gotten progressively worse.
“My neurologist recommended to keep up the weight training as it might help.”
With the help of one of Cork’s top trainers, Jim Benskin of JB Nutrition and posing coach Patricia Kalina, as well as support from family and friends, Marlane aimed to not only combat muscle loss but to take to the stage among elite fitness competitors in Cork, which she did in May.

Marlane O’Sullivan

“I remember that moment before going on stage, I was terrified of getting up and down the steps and asked one of the staff to help me by giving me their hand. There is awful anxiety associated with it. I find many leg exercises very difficult, I can’t run and find it very difficult to go up and down stairs or hills.
“I am slow to talk about it but I don’t want to be ashamed about it anymore and want to spread awareness if I can. If it could lead to a support group in Cork, all the better.”

A NEW hospital for Cork is “five to 10 years away at least,” health bosses have said.
Chief operations officer for the South/South West Hospitals Group, Ger O’Callaghan, said that the development of a “substantial new hospital” for Cork was the priority for the Health Service Executive (HSE), but that it would take up to 10 years to develop once the decision was made to build it because of the complexities involved.
He told the HSE Regional Health Forum South meeting at County Hall that services at the South Infirmary/Victoria and Mercy University Hospital would be “protected” until a new hospital was built.

The South Infirmary /Victoria and the MUH will be ‘protected’ until a new hospital is built in Cork.

Mr O’Callaghan was responding to fears raised by Cork city councillor and Blackpool-based GP, Dr John Sheehan, that services at the South Infirmary/Victoria and the Mercy would be neglected if focus was switched
only to the building of the new hospital.
Cllr Sheehan said that although a new hospital was an absolute necessity for Cork, it could not interfere with investment in the South Infirmary/Victoria which badly needs new operating theatres.
Mr O’Callaghan moved to allay those fears, saying that the South Infirmary/Victoria was personally close to his heart, and that investment in new theatres was a “priority and top of the agenda” for the HSE. He said there would be construction on the site of the South Infirmary/Victoria to build new theatres as the current theatres were too small for what was ultimately needed.
In light of a recent Hiqa report that existing general and ear, nose and throat theatres were not fit for purpose, interim chief executive of the South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital, Helen Donovan, said that engineering and architectural consultants had been appointed to assess four existing theatres. They will identify the cost involved and would strengthen the hospital’s business case for investment in new theatres, she added. The hospital would work with Hiqa to make sure the situation was improved, she said.
Cllr Sheehan told the Evening Echo that the remarks were reassuring and that a real timeframe had been established.
Six sites have been shortlisted as possible locations for the new €300m hospital, which will facilitate the merger of the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) and Mercy University Hospital.
A shortlist was submitted to Health Minister Leo Varadkar earlier this year for site acquisition costs as part of a long-term plan to reduce the number of acute hospital services in Cork from three sites to two.
The South/South West Hospitals Group has submitted a detailed ‘statement of need’ to Mr Varadkar.

CORK transplant survivor Sarah Jordan and her family held a ‘Ceol Le Croí’ fund-raiser in aid of the Mater Hospital Foundation’s Heart & Lung Appeal in the Carrigaline Court Hotel.
Ms Jordan began fundraising for the hospital only two years ago and in that time has managed to raise over €22,000 for the Mater Hospital Foundation’s Heart & Lung Appeal.
“In 2012 I underwent a heart transplant and without the dedicated team of professionals that cared for me in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, I would not be here today,” Ms Jordan said.
“Because of the time I spent in hospital I could see first-hand where the funds were needed,” she said.
“Being in hospital for three months was unfortunate but I saw the long hours and great work the doctors and nurses put in. I know that funding is vital to make life more comfortable for patients and that new equipment is badly needed for the Heart & Lung Unit.”

Cousins; Ber, Sarah and Trish Jordan.

Before the transplant, Sarah’s heart was working at only 16% capacity. She could not walk and talk at the same time, climb stairs or even socialise with her friends.
“I was lucky that the third heart offered to me was a perfect match,” Ms Jordan said.
Chief Executive of the Mater Foundation, Mary Moorhead said: “Sarah and her family are truly an inspiration. To have been through so much and to stay strong and
focused on helping others now in the same situation is a testament to them.”
“The Mater Hospital is the only hospital in the Republic of Ireland that performs Heart and Lung Transplantation. In 2014 it carried out an amazing 18 heart transplants and 31 lung transplants.
“The health system in Ireland is in need of support. The bottom line is there is a shortage of resources. The generosity of donors such as Sarah and her friends and family goes a long way to helping the Mater Hospital remain at the forefront of Irish healthcare.”

TENSIONS are rising between the city’s Chamber and Business Association over the proposed controversial merger of Cork’s city and county councils.
The CBA favour an extension of the current boundary, while the Chamber are for the merger.
In a statement yesterday the Chamber said views expressed on the merger were “unbalanced” and ignored the benefits of a unified council.
Chamber President Barrie O’Connell said: “It is frustrating from a business perspective that much of the public commentary expressed by adversaries to unification has failed to mention or allude to any of the plethora of benefits associated with unification such as enhanced economic development, jobs growth, faster and more efficient decision making.”
However, the CBA hit back, with a strong response, criticising the Chamber for its language, and for not engaging in further research. “Any view which disagrees with the Chamber’s endorsement of the majority view of the Smiddy-chaired Local Government Review Group to merge Cork City and County Councils is ‘unbalanced’ and those who disagree are worryingly described as ‘adversaries.’”

Cork Chamber say views expressed on the merger of the city and county councils were “unbalanced” and ignored the benefits of a unified council

CEO Lawrence Owens said: “Any view which disagrees with the Chamber’s endorsement of the majority view of the Smiddy-chaired Local Government Review Group to merge Cork City and County Councils is ‘unbalanced’ and those who disagree are worryingly described as ‘adversaries.’”
“The proposals outlined in the Smiddy majority report are opposed by a wide cross-section of business, political and community interests in Cork. The two eminent academics who sat on the Review group opposed the proposals. Those whose job it is to research these issues opposed it. It is not for us to comment on the research of another organisation but we do think it rather a pity that Chamber did not avail of the research capacities available in UCC, an institution whose value the Chamber regularly trumpets. Had the Chamber so engaged, it might have come to a different conclusion,” he added.
Mr O’Connell had also said in his statement: “It is fundamental that we are in a position to speak with one strong united voice on behalf of a population in excess of 500,000 people.
“The emerging role and future for local authorities regardless of structure is on driving economic development, creating jobs, ultimately delivering for Cork’s people and business community. However, much of the debate has been centred on a narrow view of power, which is limiting to both citizens and businesses, rather than the incremental power generated through greater capacity and one voice for the Cork region.”
Labour Party TD Ciarán Lynch – one of the merger’s most vocal opponents – said that the Chamber needed to take a closer look at what businesses in Cork think, including their own members.
“My engagement with Cork businesses tells me that there are varying views,” he said.
“The Cork Business Association has been very clear in their opposition. There are varying views amongst the Chamber’s members too.
“If this merger goes ahead, it will do more damage to Cork city centre than the Burning of Cork by the Black and Tans.”
However, Cork South-Central Fianna Fáil TD and party leader Micheál Martin said the Labour Party had allowed an undemocratic attack on local government and the mock outrage being expressed by some government TDs now on the proposed merger of Cork City and County Councils would not wash with the public.
Deputy Martin said: “Local democracy has been continually eroded under Fine Gael and Labour and the proposed merger of Cork’s City and County Councils is another attack that cannot be permitted. However, the crocodile tears being shed now by some government TDs will not wash with the public. The Labour Party in particular has been very keen to support Fine Gael in abolishing town councils under Minister Phil Hogan and now Labour is leading the charge to abolish the City Council in Cork.”

Works to resurface the N40 South Ring Road in Cork will commence today.

Works will entail resurfacing the on and off ramps at Mahon Interchange, resurfacing the N40 South Ring Road, (Westbound) and resurfacing the Bloomfield Interchange from today until October 30.

Traffic will be maintained until 11:59pm each night, but restrictions will be in place between 9pm and 11:59pm.

The relevant section of road will close to traffic between 11:59pm until 6am the following morning and diversions will be in place.

Restrictions and diversions will change as the work progresses e.g. Mahon Interchange (N40 J10), Mahon to Bloomfield (J10 to J9), Bloomfield Interchange, north bound and south bound (J9) and Bloomfield to Kinsale rd. Interchange (J9 to J6).

Works will be carried out each week from Monday night to Saturday morning between 9pm and 6am.

Motorists are requested to pay particular attention to Temporary Traffic Management and to diversion signs which will divert traffic off the route and bring them back on to the route.

Motorists are requested to allow extra time to carry out their journeys and to moderate their speed through the works area.

CHILDREN with disabilities are being denied their right to a year’s free pre-school due to cutbacks, according to a Midleton mother.
Laurane Foley said that her four-year-old son Alex, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, has had to start primary school before he was ready for it, because he was unable to secure an assistant to continue in pre-school.

Pa, Alex and Laurane Foley. Picture: John Hennessy

Having done a full year that the family paid for, Ms Foley said that they were told that Alex could split his free allotment over two years, starting on a two-day week in September 2014.
However, the Irish Wheelchair Association have now told them that they can no longer provide the personal assistant he needs, due to cutbacks and the demands of new users.
“It’s a legislated right that every child get that year. He isn’t even getting that full year now,” said Ms Foley.
Despite having a major operation over the summer, the Foley family have had to enrol Alex into Scartleigh National School where he will get a Special Needs Assistant, alongside his twin brother Jacob, who does not have a disability.
However, she feels that Alex isn’t ready.
“I’m taking a big risk. If it doesn’t work out, I don’t know where we go from here,” she said.
A former childcare worker herself, Ms Foley believes that Alex would have benefited from another year in pre-school to grow and learn, before facing the demands of primary school.
“We don’t know how he will cope. Are we looking at years of holding him back in school because he didn’t get that third year?” she said.

THE BLARNEY community is fund-raising to help a young local boy they call Superman to walk as he continues to defy the odds stacked against him.
Michael Barry has been fighting since he was only a few days old, and mum Orla Christian says he inspires her every day.

Michael Barry from Blarney, who was born in November 2012 with a rare genetic condition which means he needs specialised treatment to walk.

Michael, was born in November 2012 with a rare genetic condition called Aqueduct Stenosis which resulted in him suffering from hydrocephalus.
Hydrocephalus is a build-up of fluid in the ventricles of the brain. The devastation caused by this build up of fluid has left Michael with global developmental delays.
He had his first surgery at just five days old up in Temple Street Children’s Hospital where a shunt was put in place to drain the fluid from his brain.
Orla was warned he would probably never walk or talk or live like other boys his age. But Michael has defied all the odds so far.
Orla said: “The night before his surgery I made a promise to him – if he showed me signs that he wanted to walk or talk I would do anything and everything for him.”
And he did.
Michael needs specialised treatment in order to help him walk and attended a specialist physiotherapy centre in Limerick last week, where he underwent his first day of his specialised programme.
Funds also need to be raised for Michael to receive cranial re-constructive surgery.
Orla said her heart was bursting with pride as she saw Michael stand in Limerick.
“He went for an assessment a year ago and the doctors were doing most of the work when he stood. Now they tell me it was Michael doing 50% of it. The support we have received in Blarney is absolutely incredible. It is amazing to know you have so many people behind you.”
*See Superman – Michael’s Little Steps on Facebook for updates on Michael’s journey as well Michael’s Little Steps Journey on www.fundrazr.com to donate towards Michael’s treatment.
See Wednesday’s Wow! for more

CORK City Council is to become the first Council in history to mount a legal challenge against its Government over plans to merge it will Cork County Council.
At a special meeting held just after midnight this morning councillors voted unanimously to launch a judicial review of the merger decision.
Their decision has now been communicated to An Taoiseach Enda Kenny. It is understood the merger was expected to be discussed at this morning’s meeting of the Cabinet at Government buildings.
Take part in our poll. Of the following options, which do you believe is best for the future of Cork?

Speaking in City Hall this morning the Lord Mayor Cllr Chris O’Leary said the unanimous vote sends a resounding confirmation of this council’s position. The Chief Executive of the Council Ann Doherty said she would now proceed with the Council’s wish and a judicial review will be launched against the plans to merge both the city and county councils into a single authority.
The meeting was held after midnight as the Councillors had to give the Chief Executive seven clear days between moving the motion and holding a special meeting to approve it and councillors wanted to have the special Section 140 motion agreed before this mornings Cabinet meeting.
Speaking at the meeting Fianna Fáil councillor Tim Brosnan outlined the legal challenge they would be making saying they were seeking a judicial review of the proccesses the Cork Local Government Review Committee used to reach its decision and the constitutionality of the Government’s policy. “As a body we have legitimate concerns, they are not political concerns,” he said.
Independent councillor Mick Finn said they had were left with no other option given the threats to the Council’s status as the second cit and the largest county.
Cllr Ted Tynan of the Worker’s Party said he was convinced it was the determination of the Government to abolish Cork City Council describing it as a major assault on democracy. “It will create a remoteness between the people and the democratic institutions,” he said.
Sinn Féin councillor Henry Cremin said he has sat with county councillors on committees and it was difficult to find common grounds when one was debated rural issues while the other was discussing urban matters. “Even on a small scale it’s not working with four or five councillors. How is it going to work with 86 councillors,” he said.
Fine Gael councillor John Buttimer described it as a historic meeting and drew parallels with the meetings held by the council in the wake of theBurning of Cork and the deaths of Tomas MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney. “We shouldn’t be afraid to stand up and asset for ourselves and look for local autonomy. We want to respect our past while creating our future,” he said.
“We are one council, with one voice, for one city, for one people.”
Cllr Mick Barry of the Anti Austerity Alliance said they supported the legal challenge but said that was not the only means by which to oppose the merger. He said the merger was linked to the ongoing process in local government of privatisation, outsourcing and cutbacks. “We have a budget meeting shortly and the campaign to build support against the abolition of the council should not be undermined by this council voting for an eight successive austerity budget,” he said,
Following the discussion the 29 councillors present at the meeting voted unanimously to pass the Section 140 motion which compels the Chief Executive Ann Doherty seek a judicial review of the decision in the High Court.
Following the vote Ms Doherty said: “The members have voted and I am very clear of their wishes and will move forward accordingly.”

Should Cork city and county councils be merged? Take our poll.

Of the following options, which do you believe is best for the future of Cork?

Cork City Council’s Chief Executive Ann Doherty dispels what she says are ongoing myths which are being collectively put forward by those supporting the merger option.

The publication by the Local Government Review Committee of its report into the City boundary issue and its recommendation that Cork City Council and Cork County Council should merge has generated, not unexpectedly, significant debate on the airwaves and in the press. That debate, in my opinion, is best left in the hands of those elected by the people to represent their views. However, in the interests of ensuring that the people of Cork have accurate information, I am reluctantly compelled to dispel some of the ongoing myths which are being collectively put forward by those supporting the merger option.

(a) The merger would produce significant economic growth whilst a boundary extension would not.

There is no empirical evidence whatsoever for this assertion. Indeed, all of the evidence-based research would indicate that a strong metropolitan city of circa 250,000 – 350,000 people promotes not only significant growth for itself but has a profound impact on the economic health of its hinterland. Any objective evaluation shows that apart from its county towns, Cork County is largely rural in nature. Indeed much of the industrial wealth of the county is based in the periphery of the city in what can be described as Metropolitan Cork. That concentration is there for a reason. The significant volume of multi-nationals present in Cork have demonstrated a clear preference to be close to the urban area. It is important to point out that this area peripheral to the City generates a net surplus in the region of €30m per annum which the County Council uses to subvent services to other areas of the County. In a merged scenario, the City will be hard pressed to resist the loss of further resources from its core revenue base – further undermining its role as the economic driver for the region.

Chambers Ireland clearly supports the concept of local government. It annually hosts an Excellence in Local Government event and on more than one occasion Cork City Council has been the recipient of the Best Local Authority Award. Perhaps surprisingly therefore the Cork Chamber of Commerce has come out strongly in favour of the merger proposal. The position which Cork Chamber has adopted was not entirely unanticipated, and, of course, it will be argued that it is in the interests of their members. However, it is clear that the Chambers position does not represent the views of all of its members, many businesses having expressed serious concerns about the merger proposal and its impacts. Most worryingly of all, the evidence for an equally beneficial or better economic windfall being offered by an independent metropolitan area has been comprehensively ignored by this organisation. We have heard from many quarters that the complexity in extending the City boundary is a negative consideration and the ease with which the City and the County might be amalgamated is a significant benefit.

This process should not be about what is easiest but about what is best. Whilst I do not necessarily agree that the extension of the boundary would be more complex, even if it were, this is not a valid argument for refusing the City room to breathe. Having worked in the public services for the past thirty three years, I have significant experience in mergers in the public sector context. It is untrue and unrealistic to believe that an extension is more complicated than a merger. Both require significant due diligence, staff reassignment etc.

The complexity of merging two organisations with a combined staff of over 5,000 should not be underestimated. It amazes me that organisations which have no experience of such mergers in a public sector context are stating that the merger option is easier and best for Cork – I am not at all convinced.

What must also be borne in mind is that while a city authority must be an economic driver for its area, it must also have due regard to many other facets of the society which it governs and serves. That responsibility is not borne lightly by the City Council. Our conviction that a significantly expanded city boundary is the best solution is based on our evaluation of economic growth, service infrastructure, proper spatial planning, strategic development, the social needs of our citizens and the overall wellbeing of our City and our County. This more expansive approach to what a local authority is supposed to do was endorsed by the report of Professor Dermot Keogh and Dr. Theresa Reidy (a report, by the way, that was consigned to the 6th Appendix in the overall report).

What we should be primarily concerned with, however, is how we are governed and how that local governance responds to our needs and aspirations. It is about how decisions are made which directly affect every citizen of Cork.

When it comes to the finer details, there have been many appeals made which suggest that everything which has been left hanging by the main report will be dealt with during the implementation phase. I would argue it is impossible to subscribe to such a proposal when the parent report itself is fundamentally flawed. If this report’s recommendations are implemented it will undoubtedly mean an end to Cork’s second city status and in doing so will emasculate this City’s potential to act as an effective counter balance to the current concentration of development and resources on the east coast.

What Cork City Council proposed for a boundary extension.

(b) The city will take a prominent position in the new merged Council.

This is a false promise. Let us be under no illusions. What is proposed in the report is the abolition of Cork City Council as an independent decision making authority and its reconstitution as a district within a division within the larger County. It is the first time that the City of Cork will no longer have an accountable democratic forum capable of making decisions in respect of its administrative area and those who live within it. The centre of power will be located outside the city with decision making powers in relation to policy and finance confined to a small number of elite Councillors. This flies in the face of everything that local government is supposed to stand for. Far from putting people first, this process will further distance those affected by decisions from those making them. The Council of Europe has already publically criticised this policy and its effect of disenfranchising ordinary people. Whatever legitimate criticisms might be levelled at Cork City Council, it could never be accused of supporting such an unwelcome initiative.

The report also hints at new devolved powers being offered to the merged Councils. As an opening statement on this issue, I would argue that if such powers were to materialise, they could equally be offered to an enlarged autonomous metropolitan Cork area. However, it is clear, even to the most casual observer, that the State’s track record since its foundation has been in the opposite direction and that government policy has sought to centralise powers rather than devolve them. Indeed, the abolition of Town Councils and the amalgamation of City and County Councils points in one direction only – the clear intention to centralise control. Even if a transfer of functions were intended, the removal of these from their existing parent organisations such as Bus Eireann, An Garda Siochana, Failte Ireland etc would meet significant resistance and, on a practical level, be unworkable.

(c) The process engaged in deciding the issue should not be opposed.

The suggestion that any concerns regarding the process engaged in should be swept under the carpet is deeply worrying and, in my view, wholly undemocratic. This decision was taken on a three to two majority, meaning that one single individual has decided that Cork City and County should be merged. The Lord Mayor of Cork has expressed concern at the haste with which this matter is to be brought before Cabinet. Surely such an important decision should have been a cause for serious reflection on its impact, particularly when one bears in mind that the results of these recommendations will be felt in this region for at least 50 years to come. I think any rational minded observer would agree that that is something that should have been given proper and, indeed, forensic consideration.

(d) The merged City/County will do things just as well as two separate authorities.

As pointed out above, the County is largely rural and the City, of course, urban. The emphasis on policy and the delivery of that policy must be quite different in both local authorities. And it is normal to have different approaches to the delivery of policy in urban and rural centres. Urban authorities should have an urban focus and rural authorities take a rural perspective. Conflict most often arises where you have a unitary body attempting to do both these things under one roof. The City deals in a much more concentrated way on issues of social inclusion, housing, amenity, transportation, built heritage etc than its counterparts in the County. The number of social housing, festivals and recreational amenities far exceeds what the County deals with on the day to day basis. The political representation which will result from a merger will guarantee a continuous tussle along the rural/urban divide for resources, with inevitably one of those interests losing out. This is not the optimum solution for any local authority. In its report, the Committee cited the so called acrimonious attempts at previous boundary extension proposals as one of the reasons not to recommend a boundary extension. The City Council’s experience has been that there has been no acrimony at all. Every attempt by the City to raise the issue of a boundary extension over the past 40 years has simply been met with a flat refusal by the County Council to consider the issue – consigning the city to exist in an ever tightening economic and spatial straightjacket.

Now, as the City Council raises legitimate and well founded concerns regarding the evidence for the merger proposal, it is being described as opposing what is best for Cork. Nothing could be further from the truth.

CONCLUSION

It is important that I emphasise again my opening remarks. My decision to publicly record my views on this process has been taken reluctantly. However, as Chief Executive of Cork City Council, (in my view, one of the finest local authorities in the country), I cannot in all good conscience oversee its consignment to the history books without highlighting what are, to any objective viewer, glaring inconsistencies in the process and the supporting arguments presented in favour of its abolition. Of course local government is in need of reform. It must constantly reinvent itself to remain relevant to the people it is charged with serving. However, restructuring is not reform and the oblique and unconvincing promise of new powers for a new authority do nothing to convince me that a thirst for genuine reform is at the heart of this process. With regard to the report itself, any public policy must be based on a forward thinking process – one that attempts to look as far as practicable into the future and takes all relevant issues into account and, equally importantly, disregards all that which is irrelevant to the issue at hand. There are simply too many independent voices saying that this report and its recommendations comes nowhere near to meeting that standard for it to be allowed to remain unchallenged.

Cork is too illustrious and too proud a city to sit back and watch its remarkable history of local governance sacrificed on the altar of expediency.
Take part in our Evening Echo poll. Of the following options, which do you believe is best for the future of Cork?

A CORK-based consultant is calling for publically-funded heart screening in order to save lives. And a Cork mother who lost her son to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome in 2013 agrees with his suggestions.

The late Colin Callanan, from Innishannon, Co. Cork.

Speaking as the Irish Heart Foundation’s annual heart month gets into full swing, Dr Heiko Kindler Consultant Cardiologist and Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Bon Secours Hospital is calling for a screening programme to identify hypertrophic cardiomyopathy –  the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young adults.
The condition, which affects somewhere in the region of one in 500 people has come to public attention following a number of tragic deaths on Irish sports fields.
Dr Kindler argues that Ireland should follow the Italian model where young people participating in sports are screened as common practice.
“Screening can help us identify patients with an abnormal thickening or thinning of the heart and we then simply advise them not to take part in sports.
“It’s good to be aware and for people to know if they have these conditions.
“If you look at Italy, where they have been screening anyone participating in any activity over the last 20, some publications have shown an 80 to 90% reduction in cardiac events.”
Dr Kindler said that cardiac screening should be “a routine test” and that funding it publicly “makes sense.”
“There is a cost limitation, and some say it would be a waste of resources as it is rare, but just because it is rare doesn’t mean it cannot be treated and you cannot save lives.
“People can be very fit and active and play sports without showing any symptoms and suddenly develop an abnormal rhythm.
“We don’t want to scare people but there are cases when your first symptom might be your last.”
Marie Callanan, mother of Innishannon man Colin Callanan who died of SADS in 2013 is actively involved in awareness raising on this issue and is currently lobbying for the roll out of first aid and defibrillator training in secondary schools to help save lives.
Ms Callanan agrees with Dr Kindler’s suggestions.
“Two years ago we lost our 29 year old son who was perfectly healthy.
“Colin never had any symptoms but since his death one of his sisters has also been diagnosed with a heart condition so I definitely think that screening young people is the way forward.
“I would be backing this as I am sure would other parents who have lost children to this.”

Alan Kelly has rejected claims made by Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork, Chris O’Leary, that the decision to merge Cork City and County Councils is a “wreckless act of political vandalism”.

The Lord Major of Cork today wrote to Taoiseach Enda Kenny informing him that the City Council plans to take legal action over the purposed merger.

This follows a recommendation by a Local Government Review group that the two councils be joined together.

Speaking in Dublin today Minister Kelly said he is merely acting on the findings of the review group.

Mr Kelly said: “This is a very open and transparent process, it began last December and January.

“The chairman went about his task in a very diligent way, I had no communications with him whatsoever or any of the members of the committee until they left the report with me.

“I accept the reports findings and look forward to bringing it through government.”

REVENUE officers have seized almost half a million unstamped cigarettes at a commercial premises in Cork city and Skibbereen.

With the assistance of An Garda Síochana, they seized 445,000 cigarettes yesterday with a retail value of approximately €222,500.

The cigarettes represent a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €175,500

Following an indication by Harvey, Revenue’s sniffer dog, approximately 42,000 unstamped ‘NZ Slim’ cigarettes were seized at a commercial premises in the city. The cigarettes were concealed inside several ‘mannequins’.

Following a controlled delivery, a further 403,000 ‘NZ Slims’ and ‘Septs’ cigarettes were seized in follow-up searches in Skibbereen.  A UK registered van was also seized.
Two Polish males and one Lithuanian male, all in their 30s, were interviewed and  files are being prepared for consideration.

These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the supply and sale of illegal cigarettes.

Businesses or members of the public who have any information regarding the smuggling or sale of illegal cigarettes or tobacco, are asked to contact Revenue in confidence on free phone number 1800 295 295.

Staff and pupils enjoyed the official opening of Scoil Mhuire redesigned buildings on Wellington Road in recent days.

A fire has broken out at a restaurant in the centre of Cork city.

Four units of the fire brigade have been called to the blaze on Carey’s Lane, just off Patrick Street in the city, and the the lane has been closed off by the fire brigade.

According to a witness, David Mc Donald, the fire broke out at around 12.35pm at the Aroi restaurant and is confined to the upper floors of the building.

Neighbouring shops and cafes have been closed while the fire brigade tackles the fire.

Fire in Cork City centre. Can't see down Paul Street @PaulByrne_1 pic.twitter.com/Tuc9BWhWgi

— Des Barry (@A_Great_Human) September 28, 2015

Mr McDonald said: “I had actually come in to town to go to Aroi!”

It is being reported that it started as a chimney fire and the ducting in the building is on fire.

Fire fighters are tackling a blaze at a restaurant on Carey's Lane #Cork. Ducting inside the bldg is ablaze

— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) September 28, 2015

The scene at Carey's Lane #Cork where a fire in a restaurant has been brought under control pic.twitter.com/xOdkzbKiF3

— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) September 28, 2015

Anyone down around Paul St able to identify the source of that smoke? pic.twitter.com/MxsFsnQeT1

— Deirdre OShaughnessy (@deshocks) September 28, 2015

Gardaí were on the scene. The nearby French Church St was also closed as a precaution.