Local Economic & Community Plan 2023-2029

Cork City Council ’s

LOCAL ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY PLAN 2023-2029 Socio-Economic Statement

Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Guiding Values .................................................................................................................................... 2 Advisory Group ................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Timeline............................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Review of Outgoing Plan- Pure Cork ................................................................................................... 6 5. Socio-economic Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 9 Socio-Economic Summary................................................................................................................... 9 Socio-Economic Highlights ................................................................................................................ 10 Population ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Age Profiles ................................................................................................................................... 11 Families & Households.................................................................................................................. 11 Deprivation ................................................................................................................................... 12 Education ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Health ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Diversity ........................................................................................................................................ 15 Economy........................................................................................................................................ 17 Tourism ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Housing ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Transport....................................................................................................................................... 21 6. SWOT Analysis................................................................................................................................... 22 7. Draft High-Level Goals and Objectives.............................................................................................. 24 8. Next Steps ......................................................................................................................................... 27

1. Introduction Cork City Council is commencing the process of creating a new six-year Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) for Cork City to help guide the growth and development of our city’s communities, voluntary sector, economic stakeholders and citizens as a whole. This plan builds on the work and priorities identified in the first LECP ‘Pure Cork: An Action Plan for the City’ which covered the years between 2016-2021. The LECP is the primary mechanism at local level to transfer relevant actions arising from EU, national, regional and local strategies and policies to a Cork City context. The LECP is developed and implemented in partnership between Cork City Council and other economic and community stakeholders and therefore, provides an enabling framework that supports collaborative working between the economic and community sectors and across all stakeholders to the communities themselves. It therefore helps to bring community and economic stakeholders together, to strategically align and work towards shared goals in a collaborative way. The LECP was first introduced in 2015 and seen as an important departure from centralised strategic planning, giving a greater role to Local Authorities in local community and economic development. The LECP contains both a Community Plan which addresses social issues primarily and issues of social inclusion and an Economic Plan which addresses issues of economic development, employment and enterprise. Economic development and local and community development, while distinct functions which involve some different challenges, approaches and skills, are mutually supportive in building sustainable communities with strong local economies. There are many areas of common interest and action that make our city spaces more vibrant and welcoming for all Cork residents and in doing so, attract footfall for the various businesses and eateries in the city. The process of developing this plan is centred around providing ample opportunities for contributions and responses from communities and people across the city. It is the intention of the City Council to establish what the key issues and opportunities are and what matters most to the people of Cork City. Guiding Values We will follow the below values outlined in Cork City Council ’ s Corporate Plan as well as those outlined in the recently published ‘Values and Principles for Collaboration and Partnership working with the community and voluntary sector’ 1 . “ They will form the bedrock of engagement and collaboration going forward…..These Values and Principles will support consultation, inclusion and participation of communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, in public policy and decision-making at all levels and forms a foundation for collective approaches to local and national issues.”

Minister Joe O’Brien.

1 gov.ie - Values and Principles for Collaboration and Partnership (www.gov.ie)

Values

Fig. 1: Values from the Principles for Collaboration and Partnership

Fig. 2: Values from Cork City Council ’ s Corporate Plan

Advisory Group The LECP Advisory Group is representative of the stakeholders with direct responsibility for the delivery of the next Local Economic and Community Plan in Cork City. Provision for the convening of the Advisory Group is contained in the Department of Rural and Community Development’s ‘Guidelines on Local Economic and Community Plans’. The Advisory Steering Group will focus on practical arrangements for the smooth preparation of an integrated Plan, from determining its scope through to final adoption. In addition, the group should have a role in supporting the Implementation Plan process to ensure that these plans are integrated and in line with the High-Level Goals and Sustainable Objectives outlined in the framework LECP.

Membership:

• Chair, Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) • Chair, Community Culture and Placemaking Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) • Chair, Strategic and Economic Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) • Cork City Council’s Community Culture and Placemaking Director of Service • Cork City Council’s Strategic Planning and Economic Development Director of Service • Sectoral experts representing the four pillars of sustainable development, Environment, Culture and Economy.

Role and responsibilities:

• To advise and assist on the development of the Socio-Economic statement setting out the draft High-Level Goals and Objectives. • The arrangement and management of an inclusive consultation process for the development of the economic elements of the framework LECP. • Taking account of the need to reduce duplication and unnecessary overlap and to maximise the use of available resources. • The integration of both the economic and community elements into a single, coherent Framework LECP. • Ensuring clarity as to where responsibility rests for leading/coordinating for each action. 2. Timeline As outlined below there are 6 stages overall in the development and implementation of the LECP. Once the Socio-Economic Statement including the draft High-Level Goals and Objectives are signed by the relevant statutory committees of the council (see list below), we will have completed the first stage.

Council committees responsible for the development and sign-off of the LECP:

LECP Advisory Group

•

• Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) • Community, Culture and Placemaking Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) • Strategic Planning and Economic Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC)

In the next stage, we will then take these draft High-Level Goals and Objectives out to public consultation. This stage will see us carry out an extensive and inclusive citizen and community engagement where we will be inviting feedback and comment on the draft High-Level goals and objectives asking for suggestions of specific actions and any other issues that should be included in the plan. Inclusive consultation ensures the barriers that often prevent someone from participating in a consultation process are removed and a variety of opportunities to engage in a consultation process are provided. Following on from this stage, we will draft the final plan which will include a higher-level framework document and a separate action plan. This will be the first of three, 2-year action plans for the 6-year lifetime of the plan. The final adoption of the plan will take place in the fourth stage, in the third quarter of 2023 after which the actions will be implemented, monitored and evaluated continuously to 2029.

Fig. 3- LECP stages of development and Implementation as outlined in the government guidelines 2

3. Review of Outgoing Plan- Pure Cork The outgoing LECP 2016-2021 entitled ‘Pure Cork - An Action Plan for the City ’ was the first plan of its kind and so it was important that a comprehensive review was undertaken to help identify the learnings to be brought forward to improve upon the development and implementation of the new plan. A traffic light review showed how 87% (206 actions), of all actions were completed 10% (24 actions) commenced by behind schedule and only 3% (7 actions) were not started. This demonstrated a very high success rate however, it also highlighted that the majority of these actions were completed after the first two years of the plan. Therefore, the new plan would need to consider a way of evaluating actions regularly to enable new actions to be added over the lifetime of the plan.

2 gov.ie - Ministers Humphreys and O’Brien launch ‘Local Economic and Community Plans Guidelines 2021’ (www.gov.ie)

Pure Cork LECP 2016 - 2021 2022 Final Traffic Light Review

10%

87%

Fig. 4- Piechart showing the results of a traffic light assessment of actions from the LECP 2016-2021 (Green: Completed, Orange: Ongoing but behind schedule, Red: Not yet started)

As well as the traffic light review, an in-person review workshop took place in October 2022 with the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) to facilitate a more qualitative review. This helped us draw together the below list positive outcomes of ‘Pure Cork’ as well as the challenges and areas that could be improved in the next plan.

Positive Outcomes: -

Very high rate of actions completed

- Helped stakeholders to strategically align, have shared objectives and actions and collaborate - Mutually supportive economic + community actions - Helped NGOs secure funding - Action-driven - Cross referencing of cross-sectoral actions into one plan - Positive shift towards evidence based (EB) culture and local authority strategic planning Learnings for new LECP development: - Too many High-Level Goals and Objectives made it difficult to evaluate and monitor - Separate streams for economic & community elements- need integrated approach - Action compiled from other plans, not strategic - Actions completed too early on and new actions not added over the lifetime of the plan - Actions not SMART, did not have KPIs - Not enough guidance from government departments on implementation, review and monitoring

A graphic harvest was done on the discussions of the day as featured below.

5. Socio-economic Analysis A socio economic analysis has been prepared to provide the evidence base that will assist in the development of the LECP. It outlines the population, demographic, education, deprivation, diversity, health, housing, transport, economic and employment character of Cork City and helps to identify the needs of the population. This profile is largely based on data from the Census 2016 local area data and has been supplemented by more recent datasets where available such as the preliminary Census 2022 data, the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey, the Healthy Ireland Annual Report and others. When the local area data from Census 2022 is released, the Socio-Economic Analysis will be updated and the LECP goals, objectives and actions reviewed. The full Socio-Analysis is almost 90 pages long and so below you will see a summary of the main findings. Socio-Economic Summary Cork City is the second largest and one of the fastest growing city in Ireland, home to a population of 222,333 people which is set to double by 2040. Cork City is the economic driver of Ireland's southwest region and has experienced strong economic growth resulting in increases in incomes and GDP which in turn has improved the standard of living across the city. Cork City is a prosperous city that offers a broad range of highly skilled and low-skilled employment opportunities across a broad range of industries due to a strong local economy driven by large multinational and SME sectors The majority of Cork City’s population and settlements located in the city’s suburbs (67.3%). The southside suburbs are home to the largest percentage of the population (43.6%) followed by the

northside suburbs (23%), the four urban towns of Ballincollig, Blarney, Glanmire and Tower (16%), and lastly the city centre (12%). With a high percentage of the population living in the suburbs, 63% of the population use a private car to get to and from work while only 9% use public transport. The analysis also showed that 16.7% of Cork City’s population is living in the disadvantaged “RAPID” areas of Churchfield/Gurranebraher, Fair Hill, Farranree/Farranferris and Knocknaheeny and Mahon. The communities living in these areas have the lowest levels of income, highest levels of single-parent households, highest levels of disability, lowest levels of education and lowest levels of health. While Cork City has experienced strong economic growth and prosperity, it has yet to properly translate into a substantial improvement in the standard of living for the marginalised and disadvantaged communities living in the RAPID areas. While there are considerable levels of high- paying job opportunities in the RAPID areas which account for 13.9% of all jobs in the city, most of these jobs are taken up by people not living in the area. Knocknaheeny and Mahon have the highest level of inward flow of workers where large quantities of people travelling to these areas daily from across the city to work for various large indigenous and multinational firms operating in these areas. Cork City’s population is a geing with a dependency ratio presently in line with the state average. The majority of Cork City’s population aged 65 and over are living in the southside suburbs of Ballinlough, Ballintemple, Bishopstown and Wilton and towns Ballincollig, Blarney and Glanmire. Cork City has a high level of one-parent households, with some areas having twice the national average. It also has a lower percentage of husband, wife and children households with the average number of persons per household being 2.63 people. Cork City’s population is diverse with 15.4% of the population being classified as “non - Irish” the majority of which are living in the city centre. 0.5% of Cork City's population is classified as white Irish traveller.

Socio-Economic Highlights Population Overview

Cork city has a population of 222,333 people, a 5.4% increase on 2016. There was a sizeable expansion of Cork city ’s boundary area in 2019 where the city grew to an area five times its size, raising the population overnight by over 60% or 85,000 more people. The majority of Cork City’s population live in the City’s suburbs (68%) followed second by urban towns (16%) and lastly by the city centre (12%). 23% of the population are living in the four RAPID areas of the city which are areas designated as disadvantaged.

Population Spread

The 2016 census showed th e percentage breakdown of where Cork City’s population were living. • Suburbs: 68% • Urban town: 16% • City Centre: 12%

Suburbs

The most populated suburbs were:

• • • •

Togher (4.6%) The Glen (4.1%) Mayfield (3.5%) Ballinlough (3.3%)

RAPID Areas

The four designated RAPID Areas were home to 23% of Cork City’s population .

Cork City’s RAPID areas include

• • • •

Knocknaheeny, Hollyhill,Churchfield Blackpool, The Glen, Mayfield, Fairhill,Gurranabraher,Farranree Togher / Mahon /Ballyphehane

Urban Towns

16% of the total population were living in the four urban towns of:

Ballincollig, Glanmire,

• •

Tower Blarney

•

The most populated urban towns were:

Ballincolig: 8.6% Glanmire 4.7%

•

Age Profiles Overview

Cork City ’s population has been ageing in the last few decades. The 2016 census data showed that one in six persons were aged 65+, compared to one in seven in the previous two censuses (2006 and 2011). The same census data showed that Cork City’s dependency ratio i.e. the ‘dependent’ p opulation as a percentage of the working age population, has increased from 41.5% in 2006 to 42.8% in 2016 but it still remains significantly lower relative to the state’s 52.7% (2016).

Age profiles

2016 census data showed that:

• 21% of Cork City population were aged under 18 years old, below the state average of 25%, • 70% of the city’s population were of working age (15 -65), 4.5% higher than the state average. • 13% of Cork City’s population was 65 years of age. • The Electoral Division (ED) of Fair Hill B is the ‘oldest’ ED with almost a third of its population over 65 years

Families & Households Overview

In 2016, the urban towns of Cork city had the majority of families with pre-school and early school children. RAPID areas had the highest number of adolescents. The city’s hinterland had the highest number of retired households. The percentage of one parent households in Cork City was higher than the state average while the percentage of ‘ Husband, Wife and Children ’ households was below the state average. The percentage of households with no children or just one child was significantly higher than the state average.

Family Stages

Cork City’s households were classified as the following :

Lone Parent: 23.1% Pre-Family: 11.5%

Retired: 10%

Pre-adolescent: 10%

• •

Pre-School: 10%: Early School: 10.5%

Adolescent: 11%

Empty Nest: 9%

Adults: 27%

•

One-Parent Families

Cork City’s RAPID areas had the highest rates of one parent households. In the last three censuses, Knocknaheeny had the highest proportion of one parent families but it has been gradually reducing over time from a high of 48% in 2006 to 43% in 2016. Other areas with consistently high rates of one parent families are Mayfield (43.6% in 2016), Blackpool (41.1% in 2016), The Glen A (38.7% in 2016), Farranferris (36.6% in 2016), Gurranebraher E (38.6% in 2016) and Fair Hill A (36.8% in 2016).

Deprivation Overview

The deprivation of a community is measured using the Pobal HP Deprivation Index which is based on a small geographical area using data compiled from the census categories such as dependency ratio, rates of emigration and population change, education level, living arrangements, numbers of lone parents, social class and levels of unemployment. The further the score goes below zero, the more deprived the area with positive scores signalling affluence. Research tells us that rates of deprivation correlates strongly with lower life expectancies. Cork City had an average Deprivation score rating of 3.01 in 2016 which is notably higher, ie ‘more affluent’ than the national average of 0.56 . While the majority of communities within Cork City are classified as above the average rate of deprivation there are several areas of significant affluence and significant deprivation. The four Rapid areas are classified as very disadvantaged.

Deprived Areas

2016 census showed that on average, 16.7% of the Cork City population were living in areas classified as disadvantaged. Four RAPID areas are classified as very disadvantaged which include the Northwest Suburbs of:

• • • •

Churchfield/Gurranebraher,

Fair Hill,

Farranree/Farranferris

Knocknaheeny

Each of these areas had deprivation ratios of having rates of between -14.73 and -15.96.

Affluent Areas

The most affluent areas are mainly located in Cork City’s southside suburbs and include :

Mount Oval/Garryduff

•

Dennehy’s Cross

•

Rochestown Maryborough

•

• •

Ballincollig

Each of these areas had a score of between +10 and +18.

Annual National Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) 2021

The SILC reported that nationally, p ersons ‘unable to work due to long - standing health problems’ had the lowest median equivalised disposable income, at €16,604, compared with €30,266 for employed persons and were most at risk of poverty. It also showed that persons living in households composed of one adult and one or more children aged under 18 were most likely to be experiencing enforced deprivation (44.9%) and consistent poverty (13.1%) and the second highest at risk of poverty rate (22.8%).

Education Overview

Cork City is a university city with two Higher Education facilities: University College Cork and Cork Institute of Higher Technology, now Munster Technological University (incorporating the Crawford College of Art & Design and Cork School of Music). Cork is also home to three Further Education and Training colleges, Cork Education and Training Board (CETB) and a number of leading research institutes which have positioned the city well in terms of ‘the knowledge economy’. Cork has a long- established community education network, and adult and community education services are provided by numerous community and voluntary organisations. In 2015 Cork City was recognised as a ‘Learning City’ which is defined by UNESCO as ‘a city which effectively mobilises its resources across all sectors to maximise the opportunities for lifelong learning for all its citizens’. Cork City is one of the leading Learning Cities and was selected in 2015 along with only 11 other cities globally (of just three in Europe) to achieve a Learning City Award. This is thanks to Cork City’s focus on Lifelong learning including the annual lifelong learning festival and learning neighbourhoods as well as the high numbers of third level and further education institutes.

Education levels

People with Higher Education attainment have greater earning potential, are more likely to work in a safe, secure, and fulfilling job and have better health and social outcomes 3 . Young people leaving school early face a far higher risk of unemployment. Furthermore, lower qualifications generally lead to low skilled jobs and low earnings throughout the life course.

2016 census data showed that:

• 37% of Cork City’s residen ts had attained a third level education. • 10.8% of Cork City’s population had not received any formal education

The areas with the highest rates of third level education attainment were the southeast suburbs and the City Centre.

3 Cork City Profile 2018 Cork City Profile 2018 - Cork Healthy Cities

The percentage of the population with no formal education rises to its highest figure in the Northwest suburbs of

Churchfield/Gurranebraher (28%), Farranree/Farranferris (26.1%),

•

• •

Knocknaheeny (22.3%)

Fair Hill (21.6%).

•

These areas also had the lowest levels of third level education.

Education attainment of people from the Travelling community

The level of education amongst Travellers is considerably lower than that of the general population. Only 13.3% of Traveller women were education to upper secondary compared with 69.1% of the general population. Nearly 6 in 10 Traveller men only completed primary education in sharp contrast to the general population at 13.6%. There was almost a doubling of Travellers completing third level from 89 in 2011 to 167 in 2016. This however represents less than 1% of the traveller population progressing to third level compared to 28% of the general population.

Health Key National Trends from the Healthy Ireland 2021 Report

- Less people are reporting binge drinking since 2018 - Women over three times more likely to binge drink than men - Covid-19 has impacted our health with 42% of drinkers reporting drinking less, more people reporting gaining weight, a large majority of people feeling less socially connected and more people reporting their mental health had worsened due to the pandemic - The average Energy and Vitality Index (EVI) score for the population as a whole is 62.4. This is a decline from 2016, when the average EVI score was 67.8 (Higher scores indicate greater positive mental health). - The average Mental Health Index-5 MHI-5 score is 76.0. This is a decline from an average score of 81.2 in the 2016 survey wave, indicating rising levels of psychological distress among the population as a whole. - Those whose self- reported health is ‘bad’ (55.9) and those who are unemployed (71.8) are also more likely to have elevated levels of psychological distress, compared to those whose health is ‘good’ and those who are employed (both 78.0).

Cork City’s Heal th profile

The Department of Health via the Healthy Ireland programme has produced a dataset for each local authority by using a range of different data sources and reports. Cork City performs well with respect to some health indicators but poorly with others and can be summarised with the below statistics.

Positive Health Statistics

• GPs per 100,000 population is significantly higher than the national average • Levels of radon and particulate matter (air pollutants) are lower than the national average • MMR vaccine uptake is higher than the national average • Commuting with a child/children in car is lower than the national average • Obesity is lower than the national average

Negative Health Statistics

• Cancer incidence amongst men is ‘significantly higher than national average’ • Consumption of sweet drinks, levels of binge drinking, and levels of disability is higher than the national average • Cancer incidence amongst women, suicide rate and deprivation rate are slightly higher than the national average

Census 2016 data

• In 2016 over 60% of Cork City’s deaths were caused by cardiovascular diseases. • There is a correlation between persons whose highest level of education was ‘primary level’ and poor health perception and persons whose highest level of education was ‘third level degree or higher’ and lowest levels of poor health perception. • Suicide: Overall, the rate of suicide in Cork City in 2015 was 27% higher than the national rate. The male rate was 52% higher than the national rate, while the female rate was more than half the national rate. • Self-Harm: The male rate was more than twice the national average (184 per 100,000) while the female rate was 56% higher. Since 2007, the male and female self-harm rates in Cork City have increased by 52% and 42% respectively. Cork City ranks highest of all administrative counties in respect of male self-harm rates and third in respect of female self-harm. • Disability: In 2016, 18.01% of the population had a disability which is higher than the national average of 17.7%. This rate has been rising in Cork from 12.5% in 2006.

Diversity Overview

In 2021 there were 645,500 non-Irish nationals, from over 200 different nations living in Ireland, making up 12.9% of the overall population. This is an increase of 110,025 since 2016. The majority of migrants were aged between 25-44 and had a 3rd level qualification. Cork City is considered a very diverse city in terms of nationality and ethnicity. The level of diversity in Cork City has steadily increased over the past 20 years thanks to Ireland’s membership of the EU which has expanded to incorporate man y New Member States. Secondly Ireland’s and Cork’s growing economy offered many employment opportunities which has driven inward immigration.

Distribution of Nationalities

The 2016 Census showed that 15.4% of Cork City’s population was classified as “no n- Irish” . There are varying densities of non-Irish across the city with the city centre having the highest density areas with up to 48% non-Irish (North City Docks).

Non-Irish populations:

3% Polish. 1.5% UK.

•

0.4% Lithuanian. 5.3% Other EU 28 4.1% Rest of World.

• •

•

Not stated 1.5%

•

Ethnicity & Culture Background

2016 census data showed that the ethnicity of Cork City’s population was comprised of:

White Irish: 87%.

•

White Irish Traveller: 0.5%.

•

Other White: 7.1%.

• •

Black or Black Irish: 0.8%. Asian or white Irish: 1.3%.

•

Other: 1.1%. Not stated: 2.3%.

•

Ukrainian Refugees

Due to the Ukrainian war, Cork City’s Ukrainian population has seen a large increase, where there are now more than 5, 000 Ukrainian refugees in Cork city and county (Oct 2022).

Economy Overview

Over the past decade Cork City’s economy has experienced strong economic growth, which is expected to continue over the coming years, but to which is degree is uncertain given the current global economic climate. Sustained economic growth is the most powerful instrument for reducing poverty and improving quality of life. Cork is the economic powerhouse of Irelands southern region which is one of Europe’s wealth iest regions in terms of GDP output. Cork’s economy is characterised by a strong multinational sector underpinned by a large entrepreneurial and SME sector. Home to over 190 multinational companies including Apple, Boston Scientific and Janssen, Cork has a diverse economic base with a strong concentration of activity in ICT, Life Sciences, International Services, Business Services, Education, Health, and Retail sectors and is the main service centre for the Southwest Region.

Economic Output

To understand the strength of Cork City’s economy a regional view must be taken, Cork is the largest population centre and economic driver of Irelands southwest region.

2020 CSO data showed that:

• The GDP of the southwest region was circa €90 billion. • GDP Per Capita of the southwest region was €129,282, 71% higher than the state average. GDP and GDP per capita are both key macroeconomic indicators used to measure economic performance. Simply put, the economy of the in 2020 the southwest region produced a total of €90 billion worth of goods and services and had a total output of €129,282 per person. These are some of the highest levels GDP and GVA in the European Union. These high levels of economic output are predominantly due to the large multinational base present in the region. Cork is home to over 90% of the multinational companies operating in the southwest region and for this reason, Cork City and County is directly responsible for the high levels of GDP and GVA.

Income

Another key macroeconomic indicator used to measure economic performance is disposable income. Disposable income is the amount of money people have to spend after all taxes have been paid.

In 2019 CSO figures showed that:

• In 2019 the disposable income per person in Cork city s tood at €22,421 which was the 4th highest level of disposable income in Ireland and was above the state average of €23,032. • Over the 2016-2019 period disposable income per person increased by a total of 17% and an average of 5.46% a year. The 17% increase over the 2016-2019 period is indicative of the strong economic growth Cork City and County has been experiencing and the high paying jobs on offer.

Employment

As of November 2022, the national unemployment rate stands at 4.4% which is comparatively low in recent times. Up to date unemployment figures are not available at city level. In the absence of up-to-date unemployment figures, live register data can be used. 2022 Live register figures show that Cork City’s live register figure are at some of the lowest levels in the past 5 years reflecting the strong current state of Cork City’s labour market.

Industry

2020 CSO data revealed that there was a total of 29,708 active enterprises operating in Cork City and County, 92% of these enterprises employed fewer than 10 people, highlighting the fact that Cork City’s economy is underpinned by a strong entrepreneurial and SME sector. Although the SME sector strong, it is the multinational base which drives the majority of economic growth in Cork City and County.

Foreign Direct Investment

Cork has a large multinational base with firms operating across a broad range of sectors, and is home

• 7 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies • In excess of 60 global technology companies • 15 top global cyber security companies and • 300 ICT related companies.

2021 IDA Ireland figures showed that:

• In 2020 the total number of people employed in the Southwest region's FDI sector stood at 46,009. 95% of these people (43,708) were employed in Cork City and County's FDI sector. This means that Cork's FDI sector is responsible for 95% of FDI employment in the Southwest region.

• These 46,009 people were employed across the following sectors 1. Technology (21%) 2. Biopharma, Services and Food (21%) 3. Medical Technologies (15%) 4. Content, Consumer and Business Services (9%) 5. Engineering, Industrial and Clean Technologies. (7%) 6. International Financial Services (3%)

• All FDI Sectors have been experiencing strong growth over 2011-2020 period in the Southwest region, the two FDI sectors which have experienced the most growth are the Technology and Life Sciences sectors. • The number of jobs in the Technology sector has seen an increase of 99.7% over the 2011-2020 period and jobs in the Life Sciences sector has experienced an increase of 50.58% over the same period. While total direct employment by FDI companies in Cork amounts to 43,856 jobs, it is widely accepted that there is a strong multiplier effect associated with FDI jobs. It is estimated that total employment (direct & indirect) supported by FDI in the wider economy in Cork City and County is just under 79,000 (based on the multiplier effect of 0.8 additional jobs for every FDI job).

SME Sector

Although the benefits of the multinational sector have been discussed at length, it is the SME sector which employs 92% of people in Cork City and County. The 2016 Land Use Employment Survey undertaken by Cork City Council outlined the business demography in Cork City was comprised of:

• • •

Micro Enterprises: 74%

Small/Medium (10-49 employees): 21%

Large (50+ employees): 5%

The survey also revealed the average staff size of each business class

Micro Enterprises: 4 employees.

•

• Small/Medium (10-49 employees): 20 employees. • Large (50+ employees): 250 employees.

Micro Enterprises

Microenterprises operate across a broad range of economic sectors but are particularly concentrated in the Retail sector (761 no. or 26% of microenterprises in the city are in the Retail sector). Geographically, almost 50% of microenterprises are concentrated in the City Centre, with the fewest operating in the Northwest of the city

Small/Medium Enterprises

Small/Medium Enterprises make up 21% of the businesses and provide roughly 22% of employment within the city. Over 40% of Small/Medium enterprises (353) are in the City Centre; the next highest concentration (171) is in the Southeast. The top sectors for small/ medium enterprises are Retail and Accommodation/ Food Service.

2021 Enterprise Ireland figures showed that in 2021 in Cork City and County there were:

• 457 SMEs were supported by Enterprise Ireland. • These companies employed 24,962 people. • €41.9 million euro invested was in SMEs by Enterprise Ireland.

Social Enterprises

Social Enterprises meet or satisfy a market need which has not been addressed by either the private or state sectors. They can be driven by the passion and ambition of a social entrepreneur, a socially minded business or from the DNA within an enterprising community. The Social Enterprise sector sits in that ‘sweet spot’ between the charity sector, which provides social value primarily from grants and donations and traditional business whose primary objective is to create financial value for its owners and investors. Social Enterprise creates social impact through the provision of commercial goods and/or services while also being dependent on traded activities to remain as viable businesses.

It is estimated that there are roughly 40 active social enterprises in Cork City and County.

Tourism Located between the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland ’ s Ancient East, Cork is a top tourist location with a broad tourism offering. The tourism industry is an important source of employment and economic growth in Cork.

2019 Failte Ireland figures showed that

• €970 million euro was generated by over 2,355 million overseas visitors in the Southwest Region • €511 million euro was generated by over 2 million domestic tourists.

In 2021 a Failte Ireland report found that:

• There was a total of 653 trips by Irish residents to Cork, down 46% from 2019. • There was a total of €167 million spent by visitors to Cork, down 26% from 2019. • Irish residents spent a total of 2362 nights in Cork, down 26% from 2019. • The averages length of stay was 3.6 nights, up 1% from 2019.

The same report found that Cork was one of the most popular destinations for domestic tourists as

• 75% of guests staying in Cork were Irish residents. • 3% originated from Northern Ireland. • 22% originated from Overseas.

Aviation Statistics

Q2 2022 CSO data showed that

• A total of 643,155 assengers passed through Cork Airport, 13% below pre-pandemic levels of Q2 2018.

Housing Overview

If Cork City is to fulfil its ambition to be Ireland ’ s fastest growing city, it is vital that there is an adequate supply of housing to facilitate this growth and affordable housing available for citizens of all income brackets.

Housing Pipeline

The Q2 2022 Geo Directory Residential Report revealed that:

• Cork had the second highest level of residential commencements in 2022 as the construction of 3,522 residential units commenced. • Cork had third highest level of overall construction activity with 2,685 units under construction.

House Prices

The Q2 2022 Geo Directory Residential Report also revealed that:

• The average house price in Cork was €307,030. • There was a total of 5,135 transactions, 19.6% of which related to new dwellings • House prices had increased by 9.4% over the 2021-2022 period.

Housing Tenure

2016 Census data showed that the breakdown of tenure across Cork City and suburbs as:

• 58% of the housing stock in Cork City are owner occupied. • A total of 24% of Cork City’s overall housing stock is privately rented . • 14% of Cork City’s total housi ng stock is social rented housing.

House Type

• 83% of houses in Cork City are detached, semi-detached and terraced houses. • 15% of Cork City’s total housing stocks are apartments or flats • Cork City had 26% of homes with a mortgage or loan. • 32% of all homes located in Cork City in 2016 were owned outright.

Homelessness

Figures from the 2022 homelessness report published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage showed that:

• There was 466 homeless people in both Cork City and County.

Transport Overview

This projected population and associated economic growth planned for Cork City will result in a significant increase in travel demand. This demand needs to be managed and planned carefully to safeguard and enhance the city’s attractivene ss to live, work, visit and attract investment. Currently, there is a heavy dependence on private cars in Cork City due to the urban sprawl development pattern of Cork City resulting in a large percentage of the population living in the city’s suburbs and a small percentage living in the city centre.

Modes of Transport

2016 census data showed that:

• 22% of Cork City’s population use green modes of Transport. • 9% use Public Transport. • 63% of its population use Private transport.

6. SWOT Analysis Based on the findings of the Socio-Economic Analysis, the purpose of the SWOT analysis is to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to Cork city. This provides guidance as to the key areas where the LECP should focus and the additional services and facilities which may be required.

Strengths • Population is increasing and Cork City is the fastest growing city in Ireland. • Strong economy with employment opportunities across various sectors. • Strong record in attracting and retaining Foreign Direct Investment. • Cork City is the second largest fluent English-speaking city in the European Union. • Excellent business networks/organisations which support new business ventures and inward investing companies. • Significant supports for entrepreneurs at all stages. • International airport serving major British and European locations. • Home to two major universities which cater to more than 38,000 students each year. • High Quality of Life • A learning, WHO Healthy and Age Friendly City. • A diverse City benefitting from the presence of strong multinational communities. • Low levels of Deprivation • Strong community and voluntary sector • Strong record of inter-agency works to help minorities. • UNESCO Learning City

Weaknesses •

Skills shortage in certain sectors

• 10.6% people in Cork City have no formal education. • Continued concentration of deprivation in Cork City’s RAPID areas. • Lack of public transport options compared to other European cities. • Cork City’s citizens are over reliant on the private car as their primary mode of transport negatively the city’s campaign to tackle climate change.

Opportunities

Threats

• Redevelopment of the Cork City Docks is progressing

Climate Change causing rising sea levels and biodiversity loss.

•

and upon completion will provide extensive employment and housing opportunities.

• Energy crisis will potentially cause disruption for citizens and businesses. • Cost of living increases, energy crisis and war in Ukraine will disproportionality impact Cork City’s vulnerable citizens and negatively impact businesses. • A lack of diversification among the Cork city ’ s FDI base, terms of sector, could expose the local economy to risks related to macroeconomic trends in trade and investment and to policy changes in partner countries • Lack of Housing supply which is hindering social, cultural and economic growth.

• Cork City can beco me one of Europe’s most sustainable and climate friendly city thanks to its participation in the EU Missions Climate Neutral and SMART Cities Programme • Create linkages between Cork City’s indigenous enterprise and Cork City’s multinational base to benefit Cork City’s indigenous base and further embed multinationals in Cork City’s economy • Potential to develop a local green economy through offshore windfarms and tidal energy due to Cork City’s proximity to the sea. • Unlock the value of the social economy to deliver both social and economic benefits. • Further develop Cork City’s tourism sector to create economic and employment opportunities. • The strength of Cork City Centre as a the key commercial hub of the region.

7. Draft High-Level Goals and Objectives Vision

The LECP shares the vision set out in the new Cork City Development Plan (2022-2028): -

“.. Cork City to take its place as a world class city, driving local and regional growth, embracing diversity and inclusiveness and growing as a resilient, healthy, age-friendly and sustainable compact city with placemaking, communities and quality of life at its heart.”

Draft High-Level Goals

The LECP Advisory Group have drafted a set of High-Level goals and objectives which will seek to realise the above vision and continue the excellent progress which has been made by the city over the past decade but also address the current issues facing the city. These draft high-level goals and objectives will be brought out to public consultation and therefore may change as a result. They are broad enough to stay relevant over the 6-year lifetime of the plan and capable of reacting to future challenges and capitalising on future opportunities and actions. When deciding the goals and objectives, the Advisory Group considered the findings of the socio- economic analysis, the review of the outgoing plan as well as a policy review commissioned by Cork City Council and carried out by Cork University Business School. This comprehensive policy review assessed relevant local, regional, national, and global policies and strategies in order to identify policy gaps and recommend high-level goals to be considered in the new LECP. Overall, a total of 86 policies were deemed relevant to the LECP, 47 related to community and social policy and 39 related to economic and environmental policy.

These are the 6 draft High-Level Goals agreed and approved by the LECP Advisory group:

1. A city valuing health and wellbeing. 2. A city built on partnership, inclusion, and equality. 3. A city of learning and culture. 4. A city driving economic and enterprise development. 5. A city of safe, accessible, and resilient neighbourhoods and communities. 6. A city leading on sustainability and climate action.

Fig. 4: The LECP 2023-2029 draft High-Level Goals.

Draft objectives

A number of sustainable objectives have been drafted for each of the High-Level Goals (see table below). These goals and objectives will be achieved by a multitude of actions carried out in collaboration with stakeholders over the lifetime of the plan. The benefit of having shared goals and objectives is that they help to bring stakeholders together to strategically align and join forces to make effective and real change in our city.

Sustainable Community and Economic Objectives

HLG

A city valuing health and wellbeing.

Objectives

1. To ensure Cork is a healthy city that connects to improve the health and wellbeing of all its people at all ages, reduces health inequalities and recognises the need for a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. 2. Create a responsive and resilient city by building strong interconnected and sustainable local health systems that can respond to local needs and threats to public health.

3. Promote cross-sectoral working to achieve better health outcomes for the city through integrated health planning which addresses the social determinants of health and promotes health in all policies. 4. Promote community development and participatory approaches to addressing health challenges that generate models of, evidence based, best practice. 5. To support the HSE led enhancement and restructuring of health services in Cork city to ensure access to quality health care for all. 6. To create spaces and places for health using a community placemaking approach.

HLG

A city built on partnership, inclusion, and equality.

Objectives

1. Empower people and communities, increasing their capacity to become vital, creative and active participants and engaged communities. 2. Continue to strengthen the partnership model of working in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and communities to support sustainable. approaches to policy and programme development and implementation. 3. Prioritising the needs of communities experiencing exclusion. 4. Demonstrate a commitment to human rights, equality, integration and anti-discrimination, paying particular attention to the responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty. 5. Strive to develop and implement national policies, strategies and indicators relevant to inclusion, integration and equality at a local level.

HLG

A city of learning and culture.

Objectives

1. Sustain the development of Cork as a UNESCO Learning City, using Education and Lifelong Learning approaches to support the delivery of all UN Sustainable Development Goals. 2. Sustain and grow Learning City partnership structures and networks that involve all stakeholders in lifelong learning: Formal, non-formal, and informal. 3. To empower and enable people of all ages, interests and abilities to participate in and enjoy lifelong learning, the arts and creativity. 4. To sustain and develop initiatives to remove barriers to participation in lifelong learning and cultural activities for marginalised and underrepresented groups. 5. To optimise and extend arts and cultural infrastructure in the city. 6. To animate our city centre, communities and neighbourhoods through art, learning and cultural events, and creative placemaking. 7. To advance the potential of Cork's arts, culture and creative industries, and Learning and Education Services to contribute to economic growth.

HLG

A city driving economic and enterprise development.

Objectives

1. Invest in and develop Cork City’s communications, transport, and enterprise infrastructure to support economic growth.

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