This short Bill comes before you in direct consequence of the Local Government Provisional Order Confirmation Bill, 1965, which proposes to authorise a substantial extension of the municipal boundary of Cork. To secure effective representation on the county borough council for all sections of the population of the enlarged municipal area, this Bill proposes to increase by ten members the present membership of that council.
The Cork City Management Act, 1929, provided that the council would consist of 21 members. At the time the Act was passed Cork county borough had a population of 78,490 and occupied an area of 2,685 acres. A boundary extension in 1955 added 835 acres and a population of 15,364. The Provisional Order which has now been submitted for confirmation will add to the county borough 6,278 acres — disregarding approximately 800 acres of tideway — and a population, on the basis of the 1961 Census, of 33,641 persons. If the Provisional Order dealing with this projected boundary extension is confirmed by the Oireachtas, the population of the enlarged county borough will be 111,621 persons. This comprises 56,202 persons within the old 1929 boundary, 21,778 in the area added in 1955 and, as I have said, 33,641 persons in the areas now being added.
The ratio established by the 1929 Act between the population and the number of members of the county borough council in Cork would be maintained by an increase from 21 to 31 members. I think, however, that an uneven number of members, as in the case of the other county boroughs, would be preferable and for this reason the Bill provides for 31 members which would be justified on the basis of comparison with Limerick and Waterford.