Limerick a city 'in danger of decline'

LIMERICK IS a city in danger of terminal decline and a boundary extension of the city into urban parts of Co Clare and Co Limerick should take place, according to the founding president of the University of Limerick (UL), Dr Ed Walsh.

Dr Walsh is one of three prominent Limerick educationalists demanding change to Limerick city’s governance.

In his submission to the Government-established committee to examine the future governance of Limerick city and county, Dr Walsh said Limerick was a weak city but had the potential to be a strong regional city of 100,000 if the boundary was extended to embrace the urban population and unitary governance was provided.

Dr Walsh also recommended that the councils of Limerick city and county should not be unified.

The closing date for submissions was yesterday.

The UL campus is located in lands in the Limerick County Council and Clare County Council areas.

In a separate submission, the current president of UL, Prof Don Barry, said: “Limerick city currently lacks a single vision.”

He added: “Plans for the improvement of quality of life are disjointed and in many cases one part of the city is competing with another . . . The university would urge the committee to make a clear and decisive recommendation . . . and the implementation of the plan must be the responsibility of a single body that is focused on the achievement of that plan.”

In his submission, the president of Mary Immaculate College, Prof Peadar Cremin, voiced his opposition to merging Limerick city and county councils as a solution.

“On the long-term strategic level, we believe that a significant extension of the boundary is vital if Limerick city is to fulfil its developmental role as a gateway city under the national spatial strategy.”