COUNCILLORS this week supported a call for Limerick City and County Council to take the Steamboat Quay area in charge.
Social Democrats councillor Elisa O’Donovan proposed the taking-in-charge at this Monday’s Metropolitan District meeting. Cllr O’Donovan deemed Steamboat Quay a really important space in the city centre.
“It is really welcome that we are taking Steamboat Quay in charge and I’d like to thank all the team for all their work on this,” the City West representative said.
“Steamboat is thriving with residents, families, businesses. There’s been a lot of work done recently in relation to public realm development so it is really welcome. Finally, we have now taken in charge this really important area around our riverside and for our city.”
Seconding the proposal, Independent councillor Frankie Daly said he has worked with Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention, who have been looking at lighting up the outdoor areas of Steamboat Quay.
”This now gives us the opportunity to get some investment into it to improve the area and allocate a budget to improve the riverside to have attractive fencing and a nice and safe place for the community,” he told council members.
Cathaoirleach of the Metropolitan District, Cllr Azad Talukder, a resident of the area, said there has been lots of complaints about littering in Steamboat Quay and called for it to be deep cleaned on a regular basis.
“For many years it has been like no man’s land,” he claimed.
Labour councillor Joe Leddin said he has had several motions in over the lifetime of three different councils in relation to the issues at Steamboat Quay.
“We had several meetings with business groups down there in terms of addressing some of the issues there. To be fair to the Council, in recent years, we have started doing some public realm works there in terms of the boardwalk. I am cognisant as well of the investment in the neighbourhood skatepark and future plans for further works with the railings,’ Cllr Leddin commented.
“There has been issues there. It is like any area, if it isn’t taken in charge, it falls to a management company in terms of public lighting and issues to do with environment and cleaning and public realm. These are the issues I have been dealing with for residents for many years. It has taken a long while to get to where we are today.”
