Limerick County Council 'puts Limerick first' and backs single authority
IN what Cllr Mary Jackman declared as "the most momentous day" in her 25 years as a councillor, Limerick County Council this Monday unanimously endorsed a draft submission to the Limerick Local Government Committee in support of a single governing authority for Limerick city and county.
Presenting the submission before the monthly meeting, county manager Ned Gleeson said that the divisive boundary extension issue should be removed forever from the agenda of the business of local government in Limerick.
The draft submission reveals how Limerick County Council is "firmly of the view" that a unitary local authority is the best model of local governance for Limerick in order to address challenges and to see Limerick develop as a successful Gateway.
"The old argument about lines and maps and all that is irrelevant. We are putting aside self-interest and showing the leadership that is required and putting the future of Limerick first," Mr Gleeson said.
The Limerick Local Government Committee, chaired by Denis Brosnan, and established earlier this year, is tasked with preparing a report into the most appropriate arrangements for local government for the city and county. Recommendations to the committee must be submitted by May 4.
Limerick City Council, in its amended boundary extension proposal of October 2005 states that its case for extending the boundary is "grounded squarely on the concept of effective and convenient local government".
However, the draft submission to the Limerick Local Government Committee states that it is clear from the amended proposal submitted that Limerick City Council's approach to a boundary extension was "self-centred" and failed to recognise that national, regional and local policy frameworks all recommend close co-operation between local authorities, State agencies and Government departments "and that extensive co-operation is required to enable Limerick city to realise its potential as the key economic driver in the region".
Monday's meeting heard how the boundary extension sought by Limerick city called for 3,810 hectares of Limerick County Council to be transferred to Limerick city, which would include a transfer in population of around 33,000. The financial loss to the county would be about 40 per cent of the county's total rates, which would equate to about j8m per annum in rates out of the county's total of j20m.
"Of course, the county was totally opposed to that," said Mr Gleeson of the boundary extension. "It would be seriously detrimental to the way business is done in Limerick County Council. It would take away all the major industrial developments that were built up over the years – areas such as Plassey, UL and Raheen – all the success stories of the county would be transferred to the city,” he continued.
Cllr Kevin Sheahan revealed that a study showed that j10m per annum would be saved in the event of a merger, which, he said, would result in a significant amount of taxpayers’ money being saved in the long term.
Mr Gleeson said that he wouldn’t disagree with the figures that were mentioned regarding savings, but that he hadn’t a precise figure in relation to it.
“There certainly would be savings,” he said.
Cllr John Sheahan described the move by the County Council towards a single local authority as “a momentous time in the history of local government in Limerick”.
“Once and for all we want to put the issue of the boundary to bed. It’s only recently we gave away a part of our county in a boundary extension and we haven’t done a wet day and the boundary extension is there again. A boundary extension at this time would reduce our county to a begging bowl,” he continued.
He said the proposed move for a single authority was “one great opportunity to wipe the slate clean and build Limerick again”.
He called on councillors “to cast aside all the bickering and insult trading” that has gone on between the two Limerick authorities in recent times.
“Let’s get rid of all the old inhibitions and differences of the past,” he said. “We can encapsulate all of Limerick to become the lead authority for the region. This city is my city as well. I live 40 odd miles away but it’s my city as well. I don’t want to see one-in-four shops idle in Limerick city. What we want is a city that has a physical heart, where Limerick county can feed into it and Limerick city can feed out into the county – that’s what we want,” said Cllr Sheahan.
Pointing out how a single authority for Limerick would “be revolutionary in local government”, Cllr Sheahan said it “bitterly disappoints” him when he heard people “commentating in the media that they don’t want to know where Newcastle West or Abbeyfeale” or other county areas were.
“That disappoints me because I want to know more about Limerick city. I want to be involved in it because it is my city,” he said.
Cllr Richie Bulter described the document as a “complete no-brainer”.
Cllr Patrick O’Donovan asked Mr Brosnan and his committee to bear in mind fairness.
“All people should be treated equally and the windbaggery that went on in the media and personal insults against people like myself, I take absolutely no notice of that. What I’m looking for is fairness and equality for all the people of Limerick,” he said.
The Limerick Local Government Committee has put forward four options for consideration in relation to the future governance of Limerick – a boundary extension, greater co-operation between Limerick city and county, a single Limerick local authority, and a boundary extension into Clare.
In relation to the option for a boundary extension into Clare, Limerick County Council suggests in its submission that Clare County Council and the unified Limerick local authority enter a formal arrangement which would give statutory responsibility to the new Limerick authority to provide the full range of local authority functions in this very small part of Clare as an agent for Clare County Council.
“This arrangement would preserve the existing culture of the area, sporting loyalties, respect, county boundaries and the local community’s affiliation and loyalty to Clare, while at the same time facilitating more efficient service delivery to the greater urban area,” the submission states.
“This mechanism would remove the need for any boundary adjustments between Limerick and Clare,” it adds.
A relatively small built-up area of Clare bounds Limerick city to the north and east.
This area, which includes Parteen, Shannon Banks and Westbury, contains mainly residential housing developments. It is already provided with a range of public services by Limerick City Council, including water supply and sewage and fire and emergency services.
Limerick County Council will now get the opportunity to go before the Limerick Local Government Committee – possibly in late May – to make two presentations, one from the executive and one from the elected councillors.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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