DERELICT city council houses off the Hyde Road have become a dumping ground and a site for anti-social behaviour.The fire brigade has called to the scene on numerous occasions.
That is according to a deputy and a local resident, who are calling for the houses on Garryglass Avenue to be demolished as a matter of urgency.
The resident claims that he has had to replace the windows in his car 10 times due to an “unruly” element that are hanging out at the vacant properties.
“There is a gang around there, dumping rubbish and setting fire to the buildings”, he told the Limerick Post.
“There are people here who are terrified; The fire brigade have been out hundreds of times when fires have been lit. The houses have been vacant for two years and the council keep telling us that they will be demolished next month, but it never happens; They keep putting it on the long finger.
“It really is an eyesore and totally taking away from the area”.
Deputy Willie O’Dea believes that it is only a matter of time before a serious incident happens in the area.
“There have been small fires at the houses lit by this unruly element but there is the danger that a more serious fire could be ignited that would damage other adjacent occupied houses.
“The council has said it will knock these houses at the end of the year, but I don’t understand the reasoning for not doing it now.
“If it is a budgeting issue then surely it will cost the same to do it now as later; The longer they are sitting there idle the longer they are a site for destructive behaviour”.
Commenting to the Limerick Post, Deputy O’Dea said that as well as being a site for anti-social behaviour, the houses are damaging to the image of Limerick.
“These buildings are very close to the city centre and the train station so they are visible to many visiting Limerick .I don’t think any other local authority would be so slow to knock buildings that are creating a negative image of their city”.
Officials in City Hall were not available for comment when their departments were contacted .
