“You learn more in a couple of hours on the ground than you do in a week in the office.” Those were the words from Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, on a visit to Limerick during a week in which alleged tensions were brought to the fore between some locally elected members of his party and directly-elected Mayor of Limerick, John Moran.
The Tánaiste’s visit came just a week after the Mayor posted an explosive blog on his personal website in which he accused a “small minority” of councillors within the “two ruling parties” of consistently opposing “almost every significant initiative I have brought forward”.
The Mayor wrote that “there have been repeated procedural obstacles placed in the way of my routine work”, adding that he had been “accused publicly of breaking the law”.
The Fine Gael party leader showed his support for his locally elected members during his visit, saying that “Limerick has a fantastic team of Fine Gael councillors who are doing incredible hard work on the ground every single day”.
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“I was glad to hear from them about the issues they are facing and how we can continue working to deliver a better, stronger, and more resilient Limerick for now and for generations to come.”
Mr Harris visited St Munchin’s Community Centre in Kileely, where he announced €2million in additional funding for Meals on Wheels services nationally – a 30 per cent increase on 2025 levels.
The Tánaiste was joined by Minister of State Kieran O’Donnell, Senator Maria Byrne, and local Fine Gael councillors, and met with a number of community groups locally.
The Tánaiste said that “the Meals on Wheels service has proven itself to be a vital resource in many rural and urban communities, and the importance of the service and the social benefits both to person availing of the service and the wider community are clear”.
He added that “places like St Munchin’s are the backbone of communities right across this country. The people here are vital and I am determined in supporting them every step of the way.”
The Fine Gael leader rounded his Treaty visit out at the Limerick Civic Trust Spring Dinner, where he delivered the keynote address.
He paid tribute to the Civic Trust’s work since its establishment 42 years ago, conserving and restoring Limerick’s built heritage, including the People’s Museum at Pery Square, the Wild Geese Museum on King’s Island, and over 150 restoration projects across the city.
In his address, the Tánaiste said that “every time I come to Limerick, I leave more impressed than the last time”.
“This is a city with serious momentum in jobs, in investment, in infrastructure, and I want us to keep that up.
“The people of Limerick deserve huge credit for this city’s success.”
He said that “Limerick’s Georgian core is not just something to be admired. It’s a competitive advantage. It’s what makes this city different, what makes people want to come here, what makes people from Limerick proud and want to build a life here.”
The Tánaiste also pointed to broader investment in Limerick including the €290m Opera Square development, Eli Lilly’s €1bn billion investment in Raheen, Shannon Airport’s €40m upgrade programme, and preparations for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in 2027.