LIMERICK mayoral candidate says she will “look after” local food producers if she is elected to office this June.
Such SMEs, according to Independent mayoral candidate Helen O’Donnell, are at the heart of Limerick’s community.
Ms O’Donnell said that she was “hugely impressed” with the recent Limerick Food and Drink Producer Directory. Such producers, she believes, are crucial, and vowed to “look after” them if elected.
“The directory highlights every kind of food and drink product imaginable, showing just how lucky we are in Limerick, both city and county, to have such passionate people producing such wonderful and important foodstuffs on a daily basis,” she said.
And while vegetable gardens are popular in the county, Ms O’Donnell pointed out that there aren’t as many in the city, due to a scarcity of land parcels. She said she would be “strongly in favour” of a change on that front.
“I know in Ireland, unlike say France, that we don’t have as rich an urban farming legacy, but we once did in Limerick through urban allotments. And, this is something I would certainly be keen to look into in the very near future.”
If elected mayor this June, Ms O’Donnell said she would endeavour to find some land and provide funding to those interested in urban farming, similar to project’s like Cork’s Rooftop Farm and Derrybeg Farm in Kildare.
“Such farms could be set up here in Limerick, which would be good for self-sufficiency and our overall well-being and health.”
