O’Dea claims €1.7bn for regeneration still on track

THE stop-go controversy over the €3 billion Limerick regeneration programme took another twist yesterday when Defence Minister Willie O’Dea, who said last week the Government would not be able to come up with the €1.7bn it has pledged, claimed the plan and the money was still on track.

Mr O’Dea said work would begin this year on 100 new houses in the four regeneration estates of Southill, Moyross, St Mary’s Park and Ballinacurra Weston.

To date more than 400 damaged and derelict houses have been demolished, but not a single foundation for the thousands of houses set out in the regeneration plan has been dug.