County Mayor's Diary
By Cllr Mary Linehan Foley
As the vaccine rollout to vulnerable and older members of our community is progressing, there is a sense of great relief, pride and hope for the months ahead.
Our many individual sacrifices and the dedicated actions of frontline workers has brought us to a point where we can begin to think about life after Covid-19.
Personally, I look forward to visiting people and community groups in towns and villages across the county. This is one of the highlights of holding the office of Mayor and one of the greatest aspects of working in local politics.
We have all become more familiar with our local areas over the past twelve months and have rediscovered the beauty of the countryside on our doorsteps.
The importance of local amenities has never been clearer. As we begin to avail of public spaces more freely now, we are learning to appreciate our community spaces and outdoor facilities. As part of Cork County Council’s response to Covid-19, Project ACT or Activating County Towns introduced outdoor dining, street furniture and parklets. Streets were decluttered and improvements were introduced to enhance accessibility in our towns and villages.
We have seen how maximising the value of outdoor space contributes to social and community life while supporting local businesses.
Many organisations have adapted to the challenges of Covid-19 by exploring new ways to work.
The future of working in Cork county may change radically as a result of the pandemic, and we want to take every opportunity for these changes to benefit communities countywide. Remote working, whether from home or from hubs, has the potential to reduce congestion and to further connect people with their local towns and villages.
Cork County Council is working to support people in connecting with this new way of working, through the development of a talent heatmap. You can contribute by registering your skills at abodoo.com/corkcounty.
I recently welcomed the news of the Government's Our Rural Future Rural Development Policy 2021-2025. This ambitious, transformational plan aims to provide better opportunities and quality of life in rural areas. The plan includes increased support for young people in rural areas and investment in tourism, culture and heritage. These are areas in which Cork County Council together with the community and business groups we work with have shown great leadership and innovation, and we look forward to working alongside national Government to deliver this and much more for the people of Cork county.
As summer approaches and the vaccine rollout continues, we all have a lot to look forward to. I’ll be working with my colleagues in Cork County Council to identify opportunities for the county to make the most of it. In the meantime, let’s continue to look out for one another and stay safe.