“Rathkeale is similar to areas of Limerick city currently under regeneration.’
A REGENERATION project, similar to that in Limerick city, is being sought for the county town of Rathkeale. Seeking progress on the allocation of funding under the RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) scheme, Deputy Niall Collins has told the Minister for the Environment, Phi Hogan that “Rathkeale needs something similar to the regeneration projects going on in Limerick city.”
Speaking in the Dail he said that Rathkeale is similar to areas of Limerick city currently under regeneration.
“There are deep-rooted social problems and derelict properties with all the social fall out which goes with that,” he said.
The Limerick West TD queried the minister as to whether the funding, which was announced under the RAPID scheme in 2009, would be made available for investment in the town this year.
Speaking to the Limerick Post he said:”I’m looking for the budgeted money that isn’t spent at the end of the year to be allocated to Rathkeale.,
“If the funding is not available from the Dormant Accounts, from which it was initially to come, then I’m hoping it will come from savings made elsewhere”.
However, Minister Hogan says :the dormant accounts capital budget for his Department is fully committed to existing projects.
“Our priority in the light of the available allocation must be to ensure that there is sufficient funding to meet existing legal contractual commitments,” he said.
However, when asked for a commitment to prioritise RAPID funding and to make it available this year, Minister Hogan responded:
: “The problem is that five areas were identified under the Dormant Accounts Fund, but no money was provided in 2011.
“In the context of that fund, I am doing my best to see if I can get some resources for some of the projects in order to give the identified areas a lift.
“Hopefully we can come to some resolution of the matter in the interests of the people of that area between now and the end of the year”.
During the Dáil exchange, Deputy Collins spoke in further detail about the situation in the West Limerick town.
“Rathkeale is the second largest town in County Limerick and it has severe social and physical problems.
“Some members of the Travelling community use the movement as a front when, in fact, they are engaged in criminality.
“There are major problems there.
“Tourism organisations, hoteliers and the agencies promoting the area have dropped the name and symbol of Rathkeale from maps, which is quite serious”.
Deputy Collins said that he had met the community council in Rathkeale a number of times and asked that Minister Hogan meet with the group and walk the streets of the town, street by street.
