Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, for taking the Adjournment this evening as he has responsibility for housing and I ask him to convey our concerns to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, considering the importance of this issue.

The Limerick regeneration plan will be nothing but a pipe dream if funding is not made available to commence the planning and design elements this year and to move the projects to construction next year. It is critical that the Government shows its support for the plan by formally endorsing it at Cabinet and providing the necessary resources.

This is a crucial time for Limerick regeneration. Communities that saw very little evidence of Celtic tiger Ireland even before the bubble burst have invested their hopes as well as their time, energy and ideas into these plans. It would be terrible to let those people down now. They have had to put up with neglect and intimidation for long enough. If there is any rowing back on expectations now, these communities will rightly conclude that no one in power really cares about them.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell and myself and other representatives of Limerick met with the regeneration agency during the summer. The agency made it clear to us the importance of making progress at this time. The first requirement is approximately €1 million in order to commence the design and planning of a number of key projects, including sheltered housing for older people at each side of the city and small group housing schemes in other parts of the areas. If design is not commenced in the next couple of months, the projects will be unduly delayed and the intention is to commence the design and planning and then proceed to construction next year.

The second requirement is an allocation for 2010 which is at least as large as the nearly €25 million provided for in 2009. This will allow for construction to begin and for some progress to be made on the social and economic elements which in my view are equally important or perhaps more important than the physical element of the regeneration programme.

Money spent on sporting facilities, environmental improvements, summer camps and youth activities, will make more of an impact, in my opinion, than the bricks and mortar elements. Support for enterprise and the maintenance of jobs is obviously crucial at this stage. Construction must begin. What has happened with regard to houses so far has been nearly all negative from the point of view of people living in these areas. People in communities such as Moyross, St. Mary's Park, Ballinacurra Weston and Southill have seen some of their best neighbours move out and their houses being boarded up. This has allowed the criminal elements to hold sway even more. This is worse than the intimidation many people experience. It has left people living beside boarded up and derelict houses which attract dumping and sometimes rodents as well as causing dampness and a general feeling of being abandoned. Anyone here in the House would understand that it is not a good experience to have empty houses right beside one or in the same block.

I refer to one small estate in particular which I will not name because the residents have suffered enough. It was ravaged by a very small group who felt they could do whatever they liked. That estate was once one of the most sought-after areas on the housing list of Limerick City Council. It is very sad to meet people who used to live in that estate or to walk around it today. In my opinion it would be far worse to stop or slow down regeneration now than to never have initiated it. I have talked to people living in those estates. They regard themselves as living in a limbo land. The community that was there is gradually being moved out to various places and the community of the future has not been put in place yet. The people do not know what is happening and they want answers.

I tabled a question to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government during the summer and I received a reply when the Dáil returned last week. In his reply he stated he will be presenting the master plan with associated implementation plans to the Government this autumn and this is to be welcomed. The Government must endorse the plan and give its full backing for the implementation of the plan.

Most people I spoke to were surprised that this had not already been done. There is a general impression in Limerick that the plan has already been fully endorsed by Government. The people in those communities need that certainty and that commitment.

I am looking for confirmation from the Minister of State that the proposals will go to Cabinet within the next month and that funding at least on a par with what was allocated this year will be forthcoming, as well as the €1 million needed for design and planning for next year's projects. I hope the Minister of State will be able to give these assurances this evening.

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