Crime of Limerick's privation

Michael Noonan resurfaced on television on Sunday night to call for the emergency response unit to be based in Limerick to deal with the crime problem there.

Perhaps there might not be such a crime problem if he and others had been into emergency response themselves over many years on conditions in those areas they complain about. In his welcome return to the centre of political life, he might use his considerable abilities to examine what is going on in a key government programme that was designed to tackle deprivation.

In 2001 under the National Development Plan a programme known as RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) was put in place, supposedly to ensure that priority would be given to 45 disadvantaged areas around the country. Area Implementation Teams were established in each of these areas, involving State agency personnel, local organisations, and community groups. The commitment was for £1 billion and it was promised this investment would be "front-loaded" over the following three years.

Three disadvantaged areas in Limerick city were identified. The King's Island area, in the immediate vicinity of King John's castle, a northside area in the vicinity of Thomond Park, the famous rugby ground, and a southside area, including Southill. In the summer of 2001 teams were put together for each of these areas and over a short four-month period, August to December 2001, detailed plans for the revitalisation of these areas were drafted.

One of the plans noted: "Despite signs of growth and development, Limerick remains polarised both socially and economically with areas of affluence and disadvantage being spatially segregated." Within "greater" Limerick City (not just within the formal city boundary), 13 district electoral divisions (DEDs) were among the most disadvantaged in the country and 18 DEDs were among the most advantaged in the country.

It stated: "A corridor of disadvantage can be observed running from the north to the south of the city, in contrast to the most affluent parts of the city located in the east and the west."

The centre city plan covers three local authority housing estates, St Mary's Park, Assumpta Park, and Lee Estate, with 700 houses and a population of 2,856. In parts of St Mary's estate, unemployment is running at over 50 per cent. Over a third of the population is under the age of 20. Nearly 54 per cent of the adult population had either no formal education or ended their formal education at the primary level (this compares with just below 30 per cent nationally).

On a one to 10 index of relative affluence and deprivation (one indicates the area is among the most affluent 10 per cent and 10 indicates the area is among the most deprived 10 per cent), this King's Island area has a score of 9.3.

The Northside RAPID area comprises the Moyross housing estate, Ballynanty and Thomandgate. The report noted: "The area is characterised by its landscaping and by poverty in the public realm . . . There is little or no public planning, no trees on the main avenues and no incidental planting within the housing estates. In the pedestrian realm there are broken footpaths, litter and no street furniture, bus shelters or park benches."

It further reports that the roads system helps the sense of exclusion.

"Moyross in particular is accessed by only one road . . . In fact, Moyross has been described as the largest cul-de-sac in the city."

The overall deprivation scores for Limerick's northside is in the range of 9 to 10, compared to 1-3 in adjacent wards.

The south Limerick RAPID area comprises Southill and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, which includes Balinacurra, Glentworth, and Prospect. Southill scores 10 out of 10 in the disadvantage index. It is one of the most disadvantaged areas in the entire country. Unemployment runs at three times the national average. The percentage of lone-parent households is 23.

In parts of Glentworth nearly two-thirds of the adult population has no formal education at all or formal education only to primary level. In part of the Prospect area unemployment was running at 43 per cent.

About 90 specific proposals were made for the regeneration of the King's Island area, 60 for the northside area, and 46 for the southside. The plans were submitted, as demanded, on time by January 2002. It was anticipated that the plans would be implemented centrally.

Instead the various proposals were divvied about among Government Departments and State agencies, some with resources to spend on the proposals, others not. And what has happened?

It is not true to say that nothing has happened. About one fifth of the proposals have been acted upon, including the allocation of €15.5 million for the redevelopment of the most shamefully neglected area, O'Malley Park in Southill. But the expectation of a major effort to combat disadvantage has been greatly disappointed.