A RECENT editorial in the city and county editions of the Limerick Leader, was slammed as “scurrilous” by former mayor, Cllr Michael Hourigan, this week. The editorial referred to last month’s protest staged by the mayor and city councillors during a visit to the Milk Market by the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley. The councillors were protesting against the Brosnan report’s recommendation for a single authority for Limerick.
Speaking in City Hall, Cllr Hourigan said:
“The editorial was completely negative about our efforts to secure a boundary extension for the city and I’ve told the editor in no uncertain terms that I was disgusted with the comments and that I’d expect more from the Leader”.
Emphasising that the councillors agree with 70% of the Brosnan Report, with the exception of its recommendation of a single authority, Cllr Hourigan said that in October last, a 17 page report detailing the council’s case for a boundary extension, was prepared by the city manager and mayor and forwarded, after it was studied and approved by the councillors, to Mr Gormley.
“Just last week we received back a note from his office acknowledging our “letter,” he told the Limerick Post
Cllr Hourigan repeated his comments made at the council meeting, that extracts of the report, which he said gives a comprehensive analysis of why a boundary extension, is essential for the well-being of the city, should be made available to the public.
“It’s not about trying to save our own jobs, it’s about saving our city and jobs in the city.
“As I recommended, in City Hall last night, the council should take out a page in the Limerick Post showing the important aspects of the report we sent to Mr Gormley to counteract what the Leader has done in playing a major part in us possibly losing our boundary extension.
“The Limerick Post goes into very many homes and is widely read’.
As councillors repeated their call to Mr Gormley to grant the boundary extension before he possibly leaves office, Cllr Tom Shortt said the Limerick Leader made a mistake in underestimating them.
“Each of us read and debated the Brosnan Report and unanimously reached the same conclusion – we rejected the recommendation for a joint authority and instructed the city manager to forward to the Minister our own report which unfortunately, did not get into the public domain – it would serve a very good purpose if the Limerick Post could now carry it”.
There was unanimous agreement to this recommendation.
Flashback: Councillors protest at Milk Market
