April 27 - United front needed over adult education

IT WAS touching to hear parents speaking at meetings held recently in St Mary’s Parish, of the realisation that they needed to return to education themselves in an effort to support their children in achieving a level of education that might break the cycle of disadvantage that has affected their community for generations.

Ten years ago and long before the term “regeneration” became fashionable, an older generation of community activists identified the need for adult education on King’s Island. They set up a centre and with hard work and determination they attracted funding and have provided popular courses in literacy, computers, art etc. for the past decade.

Recently, the various community groups in the Parish have been talking about amalgamating, coming together to present a unified organisation to represent their interests at City Hall and elsewhere. This is a sensible strategy, to attract the maximum regeneration funding while local Minister for Housing, Jan O’Sullivan, maintains the flow of funding towards Limerick, during the lifetime of this government.

At this point, I am adding my voice to that of former mayor, Cllr. John Gilligan and questioning the wisdom that a second rival and breakaway adult education centre should be established, as was suggested at a public meeting held last Thursday, in what is after all, a small community. The board of St Mary’s Adult Education Centre are committed to amalgamation and restructuring. The entire community should co-operate and contribute to this process and present a disciplined united front to City Hall and other funding agencies, at this critical time.

Cllr Tom Shortt

THOMONDGATE, LIMERICK