Council plan to knock houses in Limerick estate to curb anti-social behaviour

An aerial view of St Mary’s Park which has been classified as extremely disadvantaged in the Polbal report Picture: Press 22

placeholder image — An aerial view of St Mary’s Park which has been classified as extremely disadvantaged in the Polbal report Picture: Press 22

SEVEN derelict houses in a city estate are to be demolished as part of a continued crackdown on criminality and anti-social behaviour.

Limerick City and County Council has unveiled plans to bulldoze the homes which are in an “unoccupied and derelict” condition in St Munchin’s Street at St Mary’s Park just outside the city centre.

It comes just a week after the local authority acquired another home under compulsory purchase legislation in nearby St Ita’s Street.

The move for the fresh round of demolitions has been welcomed by local Sinn Fein TD Maurice Quinlivan, who believes the removal of these council-owned units will make it harder for anti-social and criminal behaviour to go undetected.

He added while a joint operation between the council and gardai – Copóg – ended last year, he has kept the pressure up to ensure the area remains on the radar of authorities.

As a result of this operation, a number of new community gardai were deployed to the estate.

And the council pledged to fast-track the demolition of a number of properties, including these ones in St Munchin’s Street.

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Its chief executive Dr Pat Daly has previously said locals in St Mary’s Park “deserve to be free from the twin scourges of drugs and anti-social behaviour.”

“The council will play its part in helping to improve the environment, and I’m calling on private owners of derelict properties to engage with council to develop a plan for their development,” he added.

As things stand, the local authority is seeking to award a contract to a construction firm to carry out the bulldozing of these houses.

They are located at 59, 63, 65, 79, 86, 98 and 102 St Munchin’s Street.

The company which is successful in getting a contract will be asked to remove existing high security fencing, and re-introduce new divides.

And on top of this, they will be asked to cultivate green open spaces along the eastern side of St Munchin’s Street.

It warned of “potential opposition” locally to these works.