Raw deal again for Limerick in cabinet shuffle

If Brian Cowen was serious about Regeneration in Limerick, he would have put a serious person in the cabinet to drive it forward. Can we take this as a confirming message that it is a pipe dream?

Good for Tony Killeen on recognition of his services here-to-fore, and no doubt Limerick will feel benefit in his undoubted efforts for Shannon in the renewed context of his appointment.

But what about Denis Brosnan’s Task Group and unemployment in Limerick. All concerned for Limerick should make noise about this failed reshuffle. Its not good enough, and perhaps we are to blame if we dont beat our own drum loud enough. FF have let Limerick down so badly time and time again. Time to reflect that in the opinion polls next time round. Or maybe we are happy to keep doing what we are doing…and keep getting what we have got?

Please Minister Killeen, the Mid-West needs a strong capital at it’s heart. You know the importance of Cities and their influence on wider regional growth and prosperity. Please do all you can to ensure Limerick gets it’s plan for Regeneration off the ground (in real terms), support not hinder a boundary extension, get and stay behind Denis Brosnan’s task force, and do what ever has to be done to rid Shannon Airport of DAA for once and for all and allow it to compete unshackled by the negative forces that gravitate everything in Dublin’s favour.

Limerick Boundary Commission

Great to see that Denis Brosnahan is chairing the Limerick Boundary commission.  Mr Brosnahan fronted the Kerry Group during its heyday of international expansion in the 1990’s.  There have been a number of applications for a boundary extension by Limerick City Council since the Local Government Act 1991 when the right to appeal for an extension was formally set out with an actual defined process that includes a ministerial option to appoint a boundary commision.  This is the first time it has come this far for Limerick, notwithstanding of course last year’s extension as a result of the Fitzgerald report, granted under the watch of Green Party Leader John Gormley TD.

While that extension granted Limerick a much needed population boost, it didnt really trap any major commercial revenue relative to the actual land mass incorporated.  Given that the development horse has long since bolted, that extension was not all it might have been had it have come say two or three years earlier when multi purpos greenfield development could have been more sensibly planned in the context of teh greater city area…something which the two neighbouring county council’s(Clare and Limerick) have declined to consider as they paid zero heed to the MId_West Regional Authorities Retail Planning Guidelines as just one example.

However, in the context of severe job losses in Limerick and Shannon, a significant reduction in routes from Shannon Airport  coinciding with a discriminant tourism tax relative to Dublin Airport (to UK destinations) and of course the Limerick Regeneration project not really taking off as per the launch by President McAleese, Limerick might just get the nod this time as a means of enabling the City to help itself which it desperately wants to do.    If this does not happen, the next significant wave of development (I am hopeful this will happen within 5 years from now) will continue to add to the donut effect already evident, a continuing thinning out of retail concentration throughout the greater city area, and of course the City Council will develop more into a housing association than a City authority.

I await eagerly for progress of Mr Brosnahan and his Commision not just for the future of my own City, and the Region in which I earn my crust, but also as a possible defining moment of precedence for the now severely ailing system of local governemnt in Ireland.  

Comments welcome as ever!

Local Authority Rates Crisis – Can something come of it?

Many local Authorities including Limerick City Council are struggling right now with major overdrafts largely due to non payment of commercial rates. For most Authorities these rates make up 25 – 33% of total revenue so this is serious. McCarthy called for a rationalisation of Authorities and maybe this new revenue shortfall will prompt Central Government thinking in two potential areas.

Firstly businesses who cannot afford to pay more taxes may be less expendable than Local Authorities as employers of tax paying employees, and thus a rationalisation may serve to assist businesses and the economy in the long run. Secondly, as Government and Unions lock horns over pay deals, local councillors are surely mentioning the words ‘local government tax’ or ‘poll tax’ as our Brittish neighbours refer to it,at least in corridors and canteens if not across chamber meetings. All levels of Government are pretty used to uproar at this stage and a local tax could ease contributions by central governemnt to local government (apx 50% of Local Gov funding) as well as passing on some of the public dissatisfaction with the prevailing economic conditions Ireland finds herself in. The recently introduced tax on second proprties may prove to have been a mere introductory measure in new ways for local authorities to generate income by themselves.

A potential third consideration is that in the midst of unprecented flooding almost nationwide, perhaps now there is another basis for fewer Authorities so that wider geographic regions could have better planning around natural resources. Think of the coordination that must have been required between ESB (a semi-state body), Clare Co Council, Limerick Co Council and Limerick City Council..and when I say not to mention the Mid West Regional Authority, I mean it quite literally. Were they even mentioned in the last two weeks? This is not a criticism of them, they are toothless and powerless. But surely now a proactive government needs to prioritise public spending and public goods through an efficient system of local government over and above what at times appears to be a tokenistic structure for the party faithful which in many places has been proven to be corrupt.

In a connected theme, the Greens are talking about down-zoning as much of 80% of zoned land around urban areas. This is laudable but perhaps irrelevant in the current develoment environment, if not altogether too little too late given that the development boom is a long since bolted horse.  To conclude, I simply  fear we have not got an innovative central government and inaction as usual will prevail.