Council asked to relinquish control of Moyross estate

LIMERICK County Council is to be asked to cede its territory to city authorities to help combat crime in the troubled Moyross Estate.

The move comes as Respond, the voluntary housing agency, last night launched a new fight against anti-social behaviour in the area.

Parts of Moyross estate in Limerick could change local authority control in an effort to address problems of crime and social exclusion in the area.

At present, most of Moyross comes under the jurisdiction of Limerick City Council. The council has been asked to consider an extension of the city boundary to allow all of Moyross to be governed by a single local authority.

The request was made by John Fitzgerald who was recently appointed by the Government to combat crime and disadvantage in Moyross. Mr Fitzgerald, a former Dublin city manager, is chairing a task force, which reports back to the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion.

To date, Limerick County Council has always rejected requests from its city counterparts for a general extension of the city boundary into county areas.

However, it’s understood that county councillors who were presented with Mr Fitzgerald’s proposal at this week’s meeting are broadly in favour of the move.

The Moyross estate, which was built in the late 1970s and early 1980s, is home to some 5,500 residents. The vast majority of householders are local authority tenants and the unemployment rate at 21% is nearly five times the national average.

Meanwhile, Respond, the voluntary housing agency, last night launched a new fight against anti-social behaviour in one of its estates in Limerick.

The agency came under attack from local members of the city council over the management of its estate in Thomondgate.

Houses were left unrepaired after being attacked by gangs of youths leading to further attacks.

In a community based response to anti-social behaviour in the Thomondgate area, Respond last night launched a new neighbourhood watch scheme for its estate at Distillery View.

Tony O’Brien, regional manager of Respond said: “This is a very positive initiative and Respond are delighted to be working with residents to enhance their community. It is very encouraging to see such active citizenship and goodwill among residents and is a testament to the vibrancy of the local community.”

Garda Inspector Anne Marie McMahon said the new neighbourhood watch initiative in Distillery View was an opportunity for members of the community to work together with the local gardaí.

“The success of any neighbourhood watch is dependent on local support and we hope the people of Thomondgate and Limerick will support this new scheme,’’ she said.