Plans to fast-track €3bn city regeneration
A Government task force, set up in the wake of the Dell move to Poland, with the loss of 2,000 jobs, said the 10-year plan had the potential to create more than 7,000 jobs and inject €128 million into Limerick’s economy if the Government prioritised the project.
Mr O’Dea will meet with the Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and Environment Minister John Gormley today to discuss the plan.
Mr O’Dea said yesterday that he had raised the project at cabinet level and now had specific ideas he wished to discuss with his ministerial colleagues.
Mr Kiely said one regeneration project to provide a secure residential area for the elderly would be started straight away if a relatively small amount of money was made available. “Work on the 30 to 40 units would help get bricklayers, carpenters, electricians who are out of work back into employment.
“There are two locations readily available, one the old Matterson’s site in Moyross and the city council have another site at New Road Thomondgate.”
He called on Mr Gormley to grant the city council a €10m supplementary allocation to enable them proceed with the purchase of houses for people who wish to move out of the four areas set for regeneration, Moyross, Southill, St Mary’s Park and Ballinacurra West.
In its interim report, the task force, chaired by Denis Brosnan, said the construction would provide work for 3,000 builders.
When completed, a further 4,000 jobs would be created within the regeneration communities on the city’s north and south side. “Based on the average industrial wage, the employment would give rise to annual earnings of approximately €128m in the Limerick area, and an annual return to the exchequer of approximately €25.6m,” the report noted.
It also calls for a commission to be established within six months to look at the overall local government management of the greater Limerick city area, which is at present administered by three authorities – Limerick City Council, Limerick County Council and Clare Co Council.
The task force has also recommended they hold monthly meetings with the IDA to ensure the region is now prioritised for future foreign direct investment.
