CITY councillor Maurice Quinlivan has expressed concern regarding drug use and dangerous dogs along the canal bank close to St Mary’s RFC, where a new walkway and cycleway is to be built this year.
While the Sinn Féin councillor said the planned pathway would be “an excellent facility” for the city, he acknowledged that there is “a problem with drug dealing and pitbull-type dogs that are not muzzled” in the area.
Cllr Quinlivan told Limerick Post: “I was down there three times last week and you could say that there are a number of people hanging around there. I also saw some drug paraphernalia there such as burnt tin foil, and I know that under the flyover at St Mary’s rugby club there are lots of discarded needles.”
He continued: “It seems to be a lovely walk but not everybody would feel comfortable there and that’s something we need to deal with. The gardaí are well aware of the drug use in the area; it’s been raised at the Drugs Task Force a number of times.”
Cllr Quinlivan suggested introducing regular garda patrols of the area to combat the problem, as well as a regular collection of drug paraphernalia, which he says is currently only done “on an ad hoc basis”.
The new cycleway and walkway is set to run from Shannon Banks to UL and construction is expected to begin in August.
