LABOUR councillor Joe Leddin questioned the Council on its next steps in the delivery of a community centre for the Raheen/Dooradoyle area.
Speaking at February’s Metropolitan District meeting, Cllr Leddin outlined how, three years ago, a local authority feasibility study identified a need for a multipurpose community centre for the area.
“It is one of the fastest growing suburbs in Ireland, and we are talking about a demographic that is both young and old, with a significant cultural ethnic grouping,” he told the Council executive.
“To date, there’s been a huge dependency on sporting clubs to meet the needs of the community. Whether it’s their social need for meeting spaces, whether its for community use, recreational use, cultural use, there’s a huge dependency on sporting clubs giving up their clubhouses – which to be fair they are doing, but the demand is putting huge pressure on them.”
After the 2023 feasibility study, the City West representative reminded the Council that it went as far as identifying sites in the Ballycummin area, and one adjacent to the existing men’s shed in Ballykeeffe, which is owned by the local authority.
“We’ve seen the success of community centres in the heart of the city for many years. Here is a suburb that is rapidly growing and without such a facility,” he added.
Social Democrats councillor Elisa O’Donovan seconded the motion, sauing that “at the moment, it’s a particular issue for a lot of our younger people. The Crescent Shopping Centre is a de facto hangout area for a lot of people so they really need a space they can go to.”
Independent councillor Maria Donoghue urged the Council to hurry on and have some sort of community building for residents in the area.
“You are talking about the population of Ennis effectively without any meaningful community spaces,” Cllr O’Donoghue insisted. “Something needs to be done.”
In response, the Council explained that due to Dooradoyle/Raheen being a very built up area, there are few options with regard to suitable sites for a community centre.
“The Regeneration, Community, Sport, and Rural Development Directorate has consulted with other directorates of Limerick City and Council, who have also expressed an interest in the preferred site at St Nessan’s Road, Dooradoyle. Once the site selection process has been completed, the directorate will progress with the next phase of the project.”
– Local Democracy Reporting Scheme