Residents protest over lack of regeneration

Residents in the disadvantaged estate of St Mary’s Park, Limerick have begun a roadside protest to highlight their anger at the City Council’s handling of the estate’s regeneration.

Earlier this week the resident-led St Mary’s Community Group, which had engaged for the past five years with the regeneration, resigned from the process.

Mary Mallard, who sat on the board of the group, said: “We’ve been sitting around the table with Regeneration for five years and everything has changed again and again. We got frustrated this week and said we couldn’t handle it any more. As a committee, we felt we were wasting our time going to meetings.”

Ms Mallard, 65, who is battling lung cancer said: “I’ll fight to the very end for my neighbours that they get what they deserve.”

In 2008 residents were promised their 80-year old homes, which were considered condemned, would be demolished and residents would be rehoused in new homes. However, since the bubble burst on Government spending, the plan has changed direction several times.

As it stands, residents are being offered the option of having their dilapidated homes refurbished — not replaced.

Mary McNamara, 66, who was born and reared in the estate, fumed: “How are they going to refurbish a house that’s condemned? They are throwing good money after bad.”

The Ryans, a local family of 11, are living in a two-bedroom house in the estate. Diane Ryan, 51, whose husband has heart disease, said: “I have four sons in the bedroom upstairs. I have five daughters in the other upstairs bedroom. Myself and my husband sleep in the parlour downstairs. My husband is not well.”

Many of the houses never had central hearing and rising damp has rotted roofs, walls and floors.

Thomas O’Regan, 64, broke down as he explained his grandchildren had no safe place to play.

Father of three, Paul Higgins, 50, said: “There’s asbestos in these attics since the houses were built. They used it for insulation.

“Before the council knock a house they send in a contractor to take out the asbestos. They have full protective suits and breathing apparatus. We’re living with this all the time in our attics and we have lead pipes too. Surely that’s a health hazard.”

Rita Johnson, 39, has been living in the estate for 17 years. She lives with three of her four children and one grandchild.

Richard Lyons, 56, a father of three, said: “These houses are condemned. The town hall told us they were condemned. Now they’re saying the houses are ok and they want to refurbish them? The money is gone! No one is doing nothing for us.”

Pointing to a rat he took from his home, he added: “Everyone has rats in their attic. I’m sick of laying rat traps.”

Last night Limerick City Council said there was daily contact with residents and their representatives and that all residents were kept abreast of the changing situation and that resident views were being “considered”.

“It is expected that a full Draft Implementation Plan for the five regeneration areas will be launched in the next six weeks,” the statement said.

“We are aware that many families are living in difficult circumstances and continue to engage with those families to resolve their individual issues.”

The council said it had never condemned houses in St Mary’s Park.

“While the 2008 Masterplans for the Regeneration Areas indicated that all homes should be demolished as part of the plans, these homes were never condemned and have not been condemned by the Office of Regeneration.”

Regarding fears about asbestos in dwellings, the council said: “As work continues in the Regeneration Areas, any such issues will be addressed in accordance with best practice. On rats, it said: “Since the early stages of the project and in consultation with the Residents’ Committee it has been the practice of the project team to organise ‘rat baiting’ in advance of any demolition works. We also carry out such actions as requested by residents from time to time and have taken a proactive approach to environmental initiatives such as individual clean-ups and the promotion of environmental awareness.”

The council said it had offered €36,500 for homes in the estate if residents wished to leave.