Volume 1 Written Statement

Chapter 7: Inclusive Neighbourhoods
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Education
Schools
7.12 The provision of suitable and adequate primary and secondary education is an essential element of any
community. The Department of Education & Skills and the Department of Environment, Heritage &
Local Government published in July 2008 ‘The Provision of Schools & the Planning System a Code of
Practice for Planning Authorities’. The document highlights the need for close liaison between Planning
Authorities and the Department of Education & Skills to ensure that the provision of schools and new
residential development are coordinated in this regard. No substantial residential development should
proceed without an assessment of existing schools capacity or the provision of new school facilities in
tandem with the development.
Third Level Colleges
7.13 Cork City has excellent provision of 3rd Level Education with University College Cork, Cork Institute of
Technology, Cork City VEC, Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork School of Music and the Tyndall
National Institute (to name a few) providing a diverse range of educational options. The City Council
supports the continued development and expansion of 3 rd Level institutions in a suitable manner with
improved access for all.
Objective 7.8 Educational Facilities
a. To ensure that school and college sites are made available in accordance with the requirements of the
relevant education authorities.
b. To support the ongoing development and provision of second and third level education and lifelong
learning in the city.
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Objective 7.9 Shared Community Facilities
To consider the provision of shared community and childcare facilities on sites made available to the Department
of Education and Skills (title as may be amended) for schools.
Health
7.14 In terms of the overall provision of healthcare services, the continuing trend is towards communitybased
care with the development of multidisciplinary Primary Care Teams (PCT). PCT is a
multidisciplinary group of health and social care professionals who work together to deliver local
accessible health and social services to a defined population of between 7,000-10,000 people at
‘primary’ or first point of contact with the health service. In Cork City, a need for a minimum of 4 primary
care centres has been identified by the HSE. They may be directly publicly provided or they may be
developed by the private sector. One has already been developed in Mahon. National Policy retains
CUH as the main acute hospital for the southern part of the country. Other supporting acute hospitals
include The Mercy and the South Infirmary. In addition to these, St. Finbarr’s Hospital will serve a
range of community medical needs.
Objective 7.10 Healthcare Facilities
To support the sustainable provision of hospitals and other healthcare facilities within the city including
appropriate community based care facilities at suitable locations, subject to the proper planning considerations.
Older Persons
7.15 With an ageing population, there is a need to ensure a supply of adequate services to meet their needs.
Many people are remaining in the workforce for longer and staying healthy and active until later in life
which is impacting on the types of aged services demanded by the community. To this end, the City
Council has joined with the Cork County Council to prepare a strategy for Older Persons. The strategy
Draft Cork City Development Plan 2015-2021
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