“If you want change, vote for it. It’s well past time we had fresh faces in Cork City Council representing a new generation of voters, says Sinéad Halpin, local election candidate in Cork City North East.”
Today (Monday 29th April), on St Patrick’s Street in the heart of Cork City, the co-leaders of the Social Democrats, Róisín Shortall TD and Catherine Murphy TD launched the Cork City manifesto “Social Democrats’ solutions for the Real Capital” alongside the local election campaign for Cork City and Cork County.
The manifesto outlines the key priorities for Social Democrat councillors on Cork City Council including
- 5000 new social houses in Cork City and the doubling the investment in social housing to €1bn between 2022 and 2027.
- Introducing a €50m fund to bring derelict properties back into use.
- Introducing a participatory budgeting scheme that will put spending decisions into the control of local communities.
- €250k for play equipment across the city funded from increasing the Development contribution.
- Prioritisation of Bus and Cycle traffic including segregated cycle lanes.
- Supporting the Save Cork City campaign and working towards flood defences that will be fit for the next 100 years.
The Social Democrats are also urging Corkonians to vote Yes vote in the plebiscite on a Directly Elected Mayor for Cork City, that will be held on the 24th May.
Shortall and Murphy will also be visiting, Macroom, Mitchelstown, Bantry, Clonakilty and Cobh as well as Cork City all parts of the county to talk about the positive change that Social Democrat Councillors can bring to the people of Cork.
The Social Democrats are fielding 9 candidates across the Cork City and county
Cork City
• Sinead Halpin – Cork City North East
• Councillor Joe Harris – Cork City South East
• Ciaran McCarthy – Cork City South West
• Patricia O’Dwyer – Cork City South Central
Cork County
• Ken Curtin – Cobh
• Holly McKeever Cairns – Bantry
• June Murphy – Fermoy
• Evie Nevin – Skibbereen
• Síle Ní Dhubhghaill – Macroom
“We are delighted to support our four great candidates in Cork City who are focused on driving this ambitious agenda to create a more liveable city. We need their bold vision, courage and dynamism to bring about a new way of approaching and addressing the challenges Cork faces, to make Cork a leading city for quality of life for all those who call Cork home” said co-leaders Catherine Murphy TD and Róisín Shortall TD.
Sinéad Halpin, running in Cork City North East said
“If you want change, vote for it. It’s well past time we had fresh faces in Cork City Council representing a new generation of voters. This is the first time the Social Democrats are running candidates in Cork City and I believe that our local manifesto tackles the biggest issues facing our city e.g. Proper flood defences, investing in social and affordable housing, local participatory budgeting, improving cycle infrastructure and improving public transportation. It’s time for a change.”
Ciarán McCarthy, running in Cork City South West, said
“I’m supporting a Directly elected Mayor for Cork, because it will leave the key decisions about, housing, long term planning and budgeting in the hands of someone we can vote for rather than in the hands of unelected civil servants.”
Councillor Joe Harris, from Cork City South East, said
“We need more investment in houses in Cork City, The Social Democrats have an achievable plan to do that.”
Patricia O’Dwyer, Cork City South Central, stated
“We need flood defences that will last 100 years, the current OPW plans don’t guarantee that, and will lead to 10 years of construction in the heart of the city and the destruction of the historic quay walls. I support the Save Cork city plan for flood defences”
ENDS
29th April 2019
The manifesto is available here.