Business Organisations in Limerick jointly call for Extension of Limerick City Boundary

21/06/2010

Press Release

In a joint statement delivered today (15/06/10), the three main business organisations in the Mid West region; Limerick Chamber, IBEC Mid-West and the American Chamber of Commerce Mid-West, have thrown their weight behind the boundary extension debate by calling for an extension of the boundary of Limerick City and the continuation of a County Local Authority and City Local Authority.
 
The three organisations, who jointly represent over 1,100 businesses in the region, unanimously agree that the primary focus of any changes to local government structure in Limerick must ensure that the status of Limerick city is reinforced to deliver future growth and development throughout the region.  To successfully achieve this, Limerick City must have scale with a population of 100,000 people and this they believe can be achieved most efficiently through a boundary extension.

The business leaders also maintain that the City Core is currently under-performing and the city has not reached its economic, business, social and cultural potential.  They are calling for the City Centre core to be zoned as a Strategic Development Zone or similar incentive that will act as a much needed catalyst for investment and address the serious imbalance that currently exits between the city and its immediate hinterland. 

Limerick Chamber President Kieran Mac Sweeney said, “Limerick City must become a key driver for economic growth and employment in the region.  The only way to achieve this is by ensuring that Limerick City has the necessary scale of a 100,000 population and a focus that only a city boundary extension can deliver.  A unified authority has not successfully operated or developed a city in Ireland to date, and without a clear understanding as to how any such arrangement would operate we believe that the focus a city centre needs can only be delivered by a city authority.  In addition, a Strategic Development Zone or similar incentive for the City Centre will create a development master plan and vision that will attract investors and employment creators into the city’s core.”

IBEC Mid-West President, Dr. Maria Hinfelaar said, “We strongly believe that an amalgamation of Limerick City and one of the counties (Limerick County) involved in the debate would at best only solve half the problem.  Following this logic, an equally strong case could be made for the additional inclusion of County Clare under a mega authority.  Anybody can see that this would not make sense and that to achieve coherent governance, planning and management the only workable solution will be to extend the boundary of the city to incorporate the built-up areas, so that Limerick’s organic growth over the past decades is adequately reflected.  The frightening decline of Limerick City that we can all see unfolding before our eyes now necessitates urgent action.

Bill Doherty, Chairman American Chamber of Commerce Mid-West said, “We compete with regions throughout Europe for US Foreign Direct Investment and all of these regions have a common trait; they are powered by strong, vibrant cities such as Copenhagen, Barcelona, Munich, etc.  To be truly competitive as a region it is vitally important that Limerick develops to its full potential”.

Ends.

For more information contact:

Maria Kelly
CEO
Limerick Chamber
Tel: 061 217609
086 2383981
mkelly@limerickchamber.ie