Responding to reports in Tuesday's Limerick Chronicle, in which Cathaoirleach John Gallahue criticised city planners for not being "forward thinking" enough to put leisure facilities into troubled city estates, Cllr Long slammed the Fianna Fail councillor's claims as "a bit rich", and said he should look at the county's failings when it comes to social housing.

Cllr Gallahue said in yesterday's Limerick Chronicle: "If we had forward thinking planners and people with vision, you would have parks like these at any place which has a few hundred houses. They need public facilities."

However, an angry Cllr Long responded: "How dare he make such a statement? It is inaccurate and not qualified. It is a bit rich of him to come along and slate the city council's planners. Would he not be better off to concentrate on the lack of social housing in the county, and the fact that they did not build any for 20 years? He might be better off putting communities into houses rather than talking about public parks. The city's sole responsibility is supplying social housing, something the county council were negligent in doing."

Before the latest boundary extension was signed into law earlier this year, around 20 per cent of Moyross, including Delmege Park and Pineview Gardens, was the responsibility of Limerick County Council, who were criticised for not providing social housing in the area.

Fine Gael Cllr Long, who serves ward four, which includes the Ballinacurra Gardens estate, said the city has nothing to be ashamed about with the public facilities it has, including the Green Flag-winning People's Park.

For more read Wednesday Limerick Leader, tabloid edition."