Seventy-five candidates are in the running for a position on the Cok City Council, with 31 open seats across five local electoral territories. The 2019 elections saw Fianna Fáil rise as the dominant political force, clinching eight seats, followed by Fine Gael, who secured seven. The Green Party, with four seats under its belt from the previous round, is striving to retain its current holdings.
Similarly, Sinn Féin is aspiring to regain the four seats it lost. Some personnel and party affiliations have changed, notably within Sinn Féin and Solidarity. Moreover, Lorna Bogue, a previous Green party councillor, has joined Rabharta. Numerous departures, including veteran Fine Gael councillor Derry Canty in the southwest and three independent councillors, leave some elections wide open.
The northside has no female representatives, hence it’ll be intriguing if either region over the Lee river elects a woman. The success of the Social Democrats’ candidate Saoirse Mackin, a transgender activist, and Ross Lahvive of Ireland People, known for his participation in library and anti-immigration protests, will certainly be noteworthy in the north-west LEA.
Issues at the forefront of debate include the accessibility and affordability of housing, migration, and water quality. The northside has been facing a discolouration problem in the water supply for almost two years. Future plans of accommodating significant population growth till 2040 pose an essential topic for the new councillors, particularly providing affordable housing as part of the regeneration of the docklands.
The city centre contends with security, policing, addressing dilapidation, empty properties, and initiating the long-awaited events center. In contrast, the suburban parts grapple with maintaining roads and pathways, and public transport. Commuters are anticipating improved reliability and efficacy through the prompt implementation of Cork BusConnects and the Cork Commuter Rail Network strategy.
Cork has six councillor seats up for grabs in each of the following areas: the North East, North West, South Central, and South East. Whereas, the South West has seven seats available.