City Regions Ireland meet with Minister Eoghan Murphy to discuss Ireland’s 5 Cities

New City Regions Ireland group launched with 8 principles for the urban future

City Regions Ireland is a new group bringing together the Chambers of Commerce of Waterford, Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick – Ireland’s 5 cities as identified by the National Planning Framework, Ireland 2040. City Regions Ireland met with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Urban Development Eoghan Murphy TD to outline what is needed to safeguard an ambitious urban future for Ireland’s City Regions. 

In one voice, the 5 cities have devised a document detailing the following 8 principles, spanning infrastructure, housing, and planning to inform policy making, maximise growth, and tackle the common issues and opportunities in our urban regions.

City Regions Ireland’s 8 principles call on policymakers to;

• Plan for Core Density & Reduce Urban Sprawl
• Increase Housing Supply
• Support International Connectivity through our Ports and Airports
• Develop Transport Infrastructure to Connect our Cities
• Invest in Public Transport
• Create Destinations of Higher Education
• Rejuvenate our City Centres
• Manage Water and Waste

City Regions Ireland is working for the common goal of ensuring the country’s 5 cities are developed sustainably as the national and regional economic engines and to support a population projected in the National Planning Framework to grow by 25% in Dublin and 50% in the other four cities out to 2040.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Urban Planning Eoghan Murphy commented on the new City Regions Ireland group;

“It’s essential that we as a country recognise the important part that our cities play in driving our national economy, they are centres of business, culture, education and innovation for everyone, and not just for those who live in them. I’m happy to see that Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford have come together for the collective betterment of urban Ireland, and I look forward to working with City Regions Ireland to ensure that our cities grow and develop sustainably into the future.”

Addressing the Minister, Waterford Chamber CEO Gerald Hurley sought confirmation as to the timelines and level of funding that would be made available for the infrastructure required to enable the development of the North Quays.

The Minister advised that this project received higher funding than any other project, which is an indication of the Government’s commitment to the project and the Waterford City Region and that he is working closely with Waterford City & County Council Chief Executive Michael Walsh to ensure clarity.

Mr Hurley also highlighted the need to Create Destinations of Higher Education across the five cities, saying: “Each of our cities needs to be home to the best in third level education that the country can offer and while our colleagues in City Regions Ireland can boast thriving Universities, the journey continues for Waterford. It is imperative for the growth of our city as the Capital of the South East, as identified in the National Planning Framework, that Waterford Institute of Technology is upgraded to a Technological University.

“WIT is in the top 3 of every performance measure of IOTs in Ireland – it is delivering and it is a high performer. But in terms of regional development, we need more, which is securing University status and we would assume that the investment provided will be in line with that which was allocated to DIT. It would be bizarre if Government investment in new universities would be focused in Dublin when Ireland 2040 seeks to move the capital mass out of Dublin.”

City Regions Ireland is made up of Cork Chamber, Dublin Chamber, Galway Chamber, Limerick Chamber and Waterford Chamber, all members of Chambers Ireland.