THE MEMBERS of Clare County Council were yesterday accused of walking away from their responsibilities in refusing to participate in a regional housing strategy for the midwest region.
Making the charge, Limerick city's mayor John Gilligan (Independent), said councillors in Clare had turned their backs on 2,000 people on the city housing list.
Mr Gilligan was speaking yesterday after members of Clare County Council voted by an overwhelming majority for the council not to play any role in the new regional housing strategy.
Mr Gilligan said: "We can't provide all the social housing for the 2,000 people within the city council area - that is what contributed to huge problems in the past.
"The Limerick city area is administered by three local authorities and now you have one council walking away, pulling away one of the legs of the strategy." He described the Clare councillors' approach as "irresponsible".
At Clare County Council's adjourned September meeting on Monday, Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) said Limerick city should sort out its own housing problems.
At the meeting, councillors backed colleagues from the Shannon area who urged that the council "have no act, hand or part in the strategy". Mr Mulcahy said: "We have our own social housing problems and we should have nothing to do with it."
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