PEOPLE living in Limerick City’s unemployment blackspots will never have a fair chance to succeed or improve unless State agencies offer support to help create jobs.
That’s the view of Ray O’Halloran, the man behind Limerick City Build (LCB) who says that despite the latest job surge in the region, the economical divide is widening with the city having the highest number of unemployment blackspots in the country.
Based in Moyross for the last 36 years, LCB offers support to fledgling companies or enterprises who “often don’t qualify for funding or support”.
“If we don’t involve people in our economy they will create their own and that will only further divide the community, Mr O’Halloran told the Limerick Post.
He is now calling on State agencies to “look internally at the areas for training solutions”.
“There could be up to 150 tradesmen in areas like Moyross who can’t get employment because contracts seem to be awarded to companies outside the region. These guys can train some of the young lads looking to get a start somewhere. If they got the right start, then we have a chance of changing these unemployment blackspots into locations where industry wants to come.
He said that State agencies “come in to Limerick and go to Raheen, Shannon and everywhere else but where they are needed.
“There is no industry in Moyross. There is no industry in the St Mary’s Park area and there are no industries in Southill.
“Hundreds were employed in Moyross in the industrial estate but not any more. We have a group here helping 30 or so and many success stories are emerging but we are on our own across sectors such as IT, construction and some engineering.”
LCB was founded by the entrepreneur and social activist to help those from disadvantaged areas find opportunities in employment and enterprise.
“Companies located in these areas but were encouraged to leave as they expanded. That certainly didn’t help.
“There is a huge opportunity for industry on the Northside of the city. UL is ten minutes away. The Ennis Road is six minutes away and the new Knockalisheen road will pass the door. How much more do you need?”
Critical of local contracts being awarded to firms outside of Limerick, Mr O’Halloran said that “it doesn’t help when you have all these lads ready to work and stuff goes elsewhere”.
“The construction of the new road is gone to a firm in Mayo, yet we have one of the largest employers in roads based here and another contract went to a Northern Ireland firm for a large project on the south side of the city.
“I have some of these firms coming to me planning ahead and looking for workers but then contracts go elsewhere. It doesn’t make sense and this is going to become just another political football to be kicked around while nobody does anything.
“17 firms came in to Limerick and we have 17 blackspots – go figure.”
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