LIMERICK Chamber has called for housing, transport, and revitalisation of the city centre to be key election priorities for hopeful councillors, EU representatives, and the new directly-elected mayor.
In the Chamber’s ‘Building a Better Region’ report, members have called for a focus on the delivery of social and affordable housing, quicker activation of the use of state land for housing, and the adequate mix of tenure in State developments.
The Chamber also asked council candidates to examine its ‘City Centre Report’.
The report contains 63 measures, suggested by the Chamber, to improve Limerick City Centre and involved a survey businesses and the general public about what they would like to see done in the city.
Transport should be extended to the Annacotty Business Park to serve the 3,000 employees working there, the Chamber says, urging this to also be a key priority of those who come into office following June’s elections.
The report also outlined the importance of Ireland’s MEPs in Europe, calling for greater supports of ports infrastructure, the implementation of the revised Renewable Energy Directive, and an increased focus on cross-border infrastructure.
Limerick’s historic directly-elected mayor “can add value,” the Chamber claims, as long as they have a remit in strategic planning, housing, and transport.
Seán Golden, Chief Economist, and Director of Policy at Limerick Chamber, said that “the directly-elected mayor for Limerick has the potential to be a catalyst for transformative change across multiple fronts, from addressing housing needs to enhancing transportation infrastructure, revitalising public spaces, guiding strategic development, and fostering a conducive business environment”.
“This is a first of a kind for Ireland, so it is imperative from a Limerick branding perspective and an operational and economic perspective that the office and mayor succeeds.
“Despite the deliverables we all expect of the mayor, they will also be responsible for a significant local authority budget and their own allocated budget, so it is imperative that the future mayor has experience in this area.”
