Limerick regeneration to focus on communities

PROMOTERS of Limerick’s regeneration schemes have been urged to focus on housing.

Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan called on the Regeneration Project team and Limerick City Council to now concentrate on rebuilding houses, within local communities, in the next phase of the plan.

She said: “Up to now, a lot of the available money for housing has been spent on buying homes for people who are moving out of regeneration areas.

“From now on, I believe the focus has to be on the families and communities that will remain in Moyross, Southill, St Mary’s Park and Ballinacurra Weston. It is planned that construction will start this year on projects in each of the areas and that is positive. I met Housing Minister Michael Finneran in Leinster House last week and he confirmed to me that the funding is in place for each of these projects but that they must commence immediately.”

The regeneration agency, she said, now needs to follow the original plan to knock blocks of substandard houses and replace them with new homes.

Ms O’Sullivan said: “It is not fair to have those who are committed to remaining in their community to have to live among derelict vacated houses.

“The Northside and Southside Regeneration Boards will be amalgamated into one. The first thing the joint body should do is tell the public where they stand on what sections of estates are to be knocked; what sections will be upgraded and where it is planned to build.”

The Limerick-based TD said: “I want to see construction activities on site in all designated regeneration areas which will result in local skilled tradesmen back at work in the city.”