Waterford councillors have voted to revisit the issue of a boundary extension at today's council plenary meeting.
An independent report recommended expanding Waterford's boundary into South Kilkenny in 2017.
However, the proposal was rejected by the then Minister for local government Simon Coveney following strong opposition from Kilkenny.
A motion on the boundary was put forward by Cllrs Jody Power, Susan Gallagher, Thomas Phelan, Seamus Ryan, Ger Barron, John Pratt, Davy Daniels, and Joe Kelly at today's Plenary Council meeting.
It stated: "That Waterford council write to the Minister to immediately commence the implementation of the recommendations of the Waterford Boundary Review Committee as set out in its report as published on 17th February 2018, in particular, the extension of the boundary of Waterford City and County Council into County Kilkenny by including the entire Electoral Area of Kilculliheen and those parts of the Electoral Areas of Aglish and Dunkitt contained within the area of interest that lie south of the N25 bypass.".
Proposing the motion Green Party Jody Power said even though Coveney rejected it at the time he acknowledged the need for Waterford to expand:
"Simon Coveney did state that local government must ensure that Waterford City is allowed to grow into South Kilkenny for the cohesive expansion of Waterford City - a regionally strategic initiative," Power said.
Backing the motion Independent Cllr Joe Kelly says it simply makes sense:
"This is not anything to do with the very emotive terms of 'landgrab' and all this nonsense - this is simply about the region and particularly the environs of Waterford City as it extends into North [South] Kilkenny as it currently is.
"It makes perfect sense for the people over there, it makes perfect sense for the people who live on the south side of the river and indeed it makes economic sense, environmental sense, planning sense, housing sense," according to Kelly.
