CONCERN is mounting that the Limerick City VEC administration department, located in Cecil Street, will soon be closed
The Limerick County VEC is currently in the process of buying the Dooradoyle building, which they currently rent, with funding from the Department of Education.
Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon, a member of the Board of the Limerick VEC, is calling on Minister Michael Noonan and Minister Jan O’Sullivan, to seek a reversal of the decision by the Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn to relocate staff at the Cecil Street building.
“The VEC building in the city is owned by the Department, which has now provided the County VEC with the money to purchase the Dooradoyle property,” he said.
Contending that the county VEC staff could transfer into Cecil Street, which also has the use of the adjoining former Labour Exchange, Cllr O’Hanlon added:
“The move would greatly benefit the city”.
It is expected that the Clare, Limerick County and Limerick City VEC’s will amalgamate later this year.
It was pointed out by Cllr Michael Hourigan, who accompanied Cllr Joe Leddin to meet with Minister Quinn on the issue, that they got totally negative feedback from him.
To transfer the City VEC to the county would be “a nail in the coffin for Limerick,” according to Cllr O’Hanlon.
“It would be illogical, at a time when the economy is in dire straits, that money would now be provided to the County VEC to purchase the building it has been renting”.
However, the minister, Cllr Hourigan insists, has made his decision.
“The new CEO of the amalgamated VEC, to be announced in September, will also have to make his decision”.
Cllr John Gilligan warned – “it will have to be a unanimous decision”.
Councillors are calling on the four Limerick city Oireachtas members to meet with the minister on the issue.
‘We need all the heavyweights in the city behind us on this,” urged Cllr Joe Leddin.
“The fear is that if the City VEC has to move to the county, it could result in we having to go to County Hall for all official meetings,” Cllr O’Hanlon told the Limerick Post.
