LIMERICK City and Council Council has been accused of burying its head in the sand when it comes to providing community facilities in the Castletroy area.
The accusation came from City East Labour Party Councillor Elena Secas who said that the council must address the development imbalance in Castletroy which is the fastest growing area in the Mid-West region.
“There has been a significant increase in the population over recent years. This growth is continuing and the population will continue to grow in the area for many years to come,” she explained.
“Yet the Council are burying their head in the sand when it comes to providing community facilities for this area. There is no community centre, no Garda station, no library and no youth centre in Castletroy and the local schools, both primary and post-primary, are heavily oversubscribed and bursting at the seams.
“I have asked the council to consider opening a temporary library in the Castletroy Town Centre. I was told that an Options Study will be undertaken this year to identify what sites or buildings are available to meet the requirement of a new library for Castletroy.
“This is absolutely crazy and unacceptable. I have been raising the need for a library in the area for years and it is time that this is delivered at least on a temporary basis for a start. People do not want or need any more studies. They want and need a library in the area, so I urge the council to engage with the owners of the Castletroy Town Centre to open a temporary library there,” Cllr Secas explained.
“I asked the council to zone land for new primary and post-primary schools in the area only to be told to identify the sites myself.
“It is all very well to recognise the need for additional education facilities to cater for the anticipated growth in population but this cannot be provided unless enough land is zoned to accommodate it.
“It is all very well to recognise the need for a library, community centre and other facilities in the area but you need to take the necessary steps to provide them and not hide behind studies and strategies.
“We cannot have more houses built in Castletroy without proper infrastructure such as schools and community facilities. It is time for the council to address the biggest issues faced by families in Castletroy which is a total development imbalance,” Cllr Secas concluded.
