AT a time when people are less than enthusiastic about the government’s performance and sceptical about the true motives of politicians, it comes as a reassuring reminder that sometimes the local men and women on the ground do, through dogged perseverance, manage to get things done.
At the end of March, this newspaper reported on the sheer terror that people in an area of Rathbane were experiencing due to the criminal anti-social activity that was continuously taking place in an adjacent three-storey apartment block.
This was more than the usual nauseating carry-on, it resulted in a number of serious fires that put the lives of decent long-time residents at acute risk.
Thanks to FG Cllr Ger Fahy who lives in Janesboro, Limerick City Council was alerted and a case for demolishing the apartment block and restoring some peace of mind to the traumatically intimidated residents was eloquently and passionately delivered by the councillor to City Hall management.
Told that there would be a high cost involved in demolishing the apartment block, Cllr Fahy reminded the powers-that-be that lives were at stake and of the local authority’s responsibility in the matter.
In fairness, the council had earlier responded to the councillor and circulated the residents that demolition would take place on a certain date but just hours before the wrecking ball was to go into action, another fire was started, which took three tenders of the Fire Brigade to get under control.
Wednesday morning the apartment block was demolished and the councillor is now pressing for the construction of a block of houses to offer decent accommodation to decent residents and by doing so to restore peace of mind and a better quality of life to the unfortunate people who had to endure such demoralising intimidation. A good local politician genuinely takes on board the issues that need attention and action and they persist in the job of getting things done.
