This article is from page 37 of the 2007-09-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 37 JPG
LIMERICK’S city manager is to be asked to come to a meeting of elected representatives for the Killaloe area to fill them in on whether the city is buying homes in south east Clare.
The issue was raised at a meeting of the Killaloe area committee of the county council, when council- lors voiced their concerns over re- ports that homes are being bought up in their area to rehouse people being moved in the Social Inclusion scheme for Moyross.
Limerick City Council has to find accommodation for tenants whose
homes are being demolished as part of the plan.
The city’s policy is to supplement the number of new homes it can build by buying up houses for sale in the city and it’s hinterland.
But councillors said that they feel they are being kept in the dark about the plans.
Cllr Cathal Crowe told the meeting that he believes the city manager 1s including south east Clare in his defi- nition of “hinterland”’.
“I’m told by residents that two houses have been bought there and that the city council has bought nine houses in Westbury. But if you try to
question any of this you’re accused of being anti-Limerick. People have a right to live in any part of this coun- try they wish but there is a wholesale movement of people under this plan and that requires dialogue. I’m not being disparaging of anyone coming into this area. There are many fine people in Moyross and we would welcome them in but there is a small minority who are causing problems and if the city thinks it can export those problems to Clare, then it has another think coming.”
Cllr Pascal Fitzgerald said that he has also been approached on the is- sue. “We’re told that one bad com-
plaint against a city tenant and they’re out. That’s codswallop – what’s a bad complaint? A stereo on too loud? We know nothing about how this is be- ing handled and we have a right to know what is going on in the area we represent.”
The councillor added that he was concerned that “Limerick city can buy houses in Clare, yet we have people on our housing waiting list for years and we can’t house them.
The members agreed to invite a deputation from the city council to come to their next meeting to discuss the issues.