Local Government and Politics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1659 | 4,826 | — |
| 1813 | 64,394 | +1234.3% |
| 1821 | 100,658 | +56.3% |
| 1831 | 107,016 | +6.3% |
| 1841 | 80,720 | −24.6% |
| 1851 | 82,625 | +2.4% |
| 1861 | 79,594 | −3.7% |
| 1871 | 78,642 | −1.2% |
| 1881 | 80,124 | +1.9% |
| 1891 | 75,345 | −6.0% |
| 1901 | 76,122 | +1.0% |
| 1911 | 76,673 | +0.7% |
| 1926 | 78,490 | +2.4% |
| 1936 | 93,322 | +18.9% |
| 1946 | 89,877 | −3.7% |
| 1951 | 112,009 | +24.6% |
| 1956 | 114,428 | +2.2% |
| 1961 | 115,689 | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 125,283 | +8.3% |
| 1971 | 134,430 | +7.3% |
| 1979 | 138,267 | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 136,344 | −1.4% |
| 1986 | 133,271 | −2.3% |
| 1991 | 127,253 | −4.5% |
| 1996 | 127,187 | −0.1% |
| 2002 | 123,062 | −3.2% |
| 2006 | 119,418 | −3.0% |
| 2011 | 118,912 | −0.4% |
With a population of 119,230, Cork is the second most populous city in the State and the 16th most populous area of local government. Per the Local Government Act 2001, Cork City Council is a tier 1 entity of local government with the same status in law as a County council. While local government in Ireland has limited powers in comparison with other countries, the council has responsibility for planning, roads, sanitation, libraries, street lighting, parks and a number of other important functions. Cork City Council has 31 elected members representing six electoral wards. The party make-up of the council is Fine Gael 8 members, Labour Party 7 members, Fianna Fáil 6 members, Sinn Féin 5 members, Socialist Party 1 member, Workers' Party 1 member, Independents 3 members. Selected Cork City Councillors also represent regional and local government interests as members of the South-West Regional Authority.
The administrative offices for Cork County Council are also located within the city limits.
For the purposes of elections to Dáil Éireann, the city is part of Cork North-Central constituency which returns four TDs and also part of Cork South-Central constituency which returns five TDs. Following the 2011 general election, these constituencies returned three TDs for the Fine Gael party (centre right), three TDs for Fianna Fáil (centre to centre-right), two TDs for the Labour Party (centre left) and one TD for Sinn Féin (left wing).
Read more about this topic: Cork (city)
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