Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

With the Chairman's permission, I will discuss Limerick as an example. If I understand Deputy Ó Murchú correctly, there is to a certain extent an element of competition between local authorities and cities. I will give Limerick as example. I opened The Irish Times a few months ago and read a full-page advertisement stating that Limerick was going green. It was great; I was thrilled. That is absolutely right for Limerick, the city and various other places around the country. If Limerick is to do this, it must now deliver on the sorts of projects that would actually make that vision real, for example, connecting the University of Limerick, UL, the Technological University of the Shannon, formerly LIT Tipperary, and MaREI. That would transform the centre of Limerick.

Only 3% of the population of Limerick live in the historic core. It is a stunning Georgian city with a beautiful river and King John's Castle. It has everything anyone would want. It is a dramatic, beautiful, fantastic city with history, culture and a good economy. However, this process cannot be forced. We cannot say to Limerick City and County Council and its executive that they have to do it. If they do not want to do it, it is very hard to push it through, particularly when it comes to delivering at a local level on the street. If Limerick is not willing or interested in doing it, we will go to Galway and say that if Galway wants to go down that route, it will get funding first. It is not saying "No" to any one council; it is recognising that there are limited resources and if cities, towns or counties are not looking to be progressive in that way, the funding will naturally go elsewhere.