Boundary extension ‘critical’ for city revamp

THE man charged by the Government to draw up a new super plan to tackle social exclusion and anti-social behaviour in Moyross and Southill, yesterday revealed that a Limerick city boundary extension would be a matter of urgency.

Former Dublin city manager John Fitzgerald said he would be seeking a modification of the boundary on the north of the city. His proposal would bring Caherdavin and Moyross — both currently in Co Limerick — under city council control.

Mr Fitzgerald was speaking after a meeting with Limerick City Council.

He said: “I see this as a north-city initiative, simply to make it easier to get the type of development into the north side of the city it lacks at the moment.”

Mr Fitzgerald noted the north of the city had few job creators: “There is no industry of significance there and no office development of any form. You find it in the south side of the city, but not the north side.”

However, he said the potential was there for such development but it could be better capitalised on with one local authority in charge of the entire area.

Mr Fitzgerald said he will have a report ready by early March. But he ruled out appointing a task force to help him draw up plans for Moyross and Southill.

Mr Fitzgerald explained: “Limerick was a small city and key players are meeting each other all the time. At this stage, over these months, it is a lot faster and quicker to go around and form my own opinions.”

But he did not rule out setting up an implementation structure for his plan at a later stage if Government accepted his recommendations.

He said: “A lot of what I have seen is totally unacceptable.

“But, at the same time, I have seen difficult situations before and how they can be turned around.”

However, Mr Fitzgerald played down any suggestion that the initiative would release some kind of a genie out of a bottle. “There are no magic wands,” he said.

Crime in Moyross and Southill, he said, would form part of the regenerative process.

“Crime is a policing issue and I accept policing is never a permanent solution to anything. You can’t police social problems out of existence.”

Mr Fitzgerald said what was needed was a long-term solution which would embrace jobs and the normal mix that worked elsewhere.