This article is from page 3 of the 2006-06-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
THE MAYOR of Limerick has taken a lashing for suggesting that the Limerick boundary should be enlarged to take in Limerick business people living outside the city.
The question of the Limerick city boundary with counties Clare and Limerick has to be resolved, Mayor Diarmuid Scully told the AGM of the Mid-West branch of IBEC in the city on Friday.
Many owners of businesses within the city were unable to vote in city council elections, he said in his after-lunch speech. “There is an inherent danger, because middle-class owners of businesses live outside the boundary, with the businesses inside and the working class inside,” said Mayor Scully. “Who speaks for Limerick city — the Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council, the Mayor of Limerick or the Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council?” he asked.
“The reality is that the Mayor of Limerick does and the others do not.”
East Clare Labour councillor, Paschal Fitzgerald, said the Mayor “is talking blarney.”
“There are plenty of Clare business people with businesses in Limerick and Limerick people with businesses in Shannon — this is not an argument for a boundary extension into Clare.”
Cllr Fitzgerald said that the Mayor “should go and talk to County Limerick and leave Clare alone.
“That’s what Dick Roche said to do.”
The Mayor also told the AGM that they can expect “fierce” cost competition from abroad. “We haven’t had a good record in attracting large investments to the region from abroad, and we won’t in the future because of costs,” said Mayor Scully.
“We have to compete on innovation and quality of life.”
Damien Clancy, the outgoing Mid-West President of IBEC, handed over to incoming president John Liddy of Roche Ireland in Clarecastle.
In the days immediately leading up to the AGM, one of Mr Clancy’s last presidential acts was to call for the appointment of a Minister for Regional Development.
“Unless Regional Development is prioritised under the new National Development Plan and a Cabinet Minister is made accountable for its overall day-to-day management, the Mid-West Region will end up with unfinished projects that will have serious consequences for our economic development and competitiveness,” Mr Clancy stated.