Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators very much for their contributions. I will speak to amendment No. 85 in the names of Senators Boyhan and Keogan. This amendment proposes to insert a new section into the Bill which would give the mayor responsibility for the administration and implementation of Limerick regeneration projects. It also proposes that an annual report would be submitted to the elected members of Limerick City and County Council for their review, after which it would be furnished to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

First, I strongly agree with the spirit of the amendment. The mayor will have an important role in regeneration measures in Limerick. These projects aim to develop and improve the region through creating safe and sustainable communities, attracting new inward investment, encouraging new local businesses, and providing high quality and flexible accommodation spaces. Implementation of current and future regeneration frameworks is crucial to the ambitious plan to transform the city and local areas.

The Limerick regeneration framework implementation plan is the programme of work setting out the shared vision for stronger communities within regeneration areas. The local strategic advisory and monitoring group oversees the implementation of the plan. This advisory group includes representatives from the community and other bodies. It is currently chaired by the chief executive and under the new structures it will be chaired by the mayor. That will put the mayor front and centre in terms of driving the programme.

Regeneration projects such as the Limerick regeneration framework implementation plan do not have a separate statutory basis. The Bill does however, provide for the mayor to have an important role in the oversight and development of regeneration generally in Limerick. This is reflected in section 32 which provides for the mayor to establish a Limerick mayoral advisory and implementation committee. In response to Senator Craughwell, the mayor will have a statutory right to bring any public body or whoever else onto his implementation group, and I would expect education partners to be automatically included.

As I mentioned earlier, a function of this committee, chaired by the mayor, will be the co-ordination in Limerick of measures giving effect to Government policy concerning the regeneration of towns, and, obviously, city areas.

In addition to this committee, section 33 provides for the mayor to also chair the Limerick Project Ireland 2040 delivery board, which will progress the implementation of the national planning framework and the national development plan in the region. Key duties of the delivery board will include engagement and collaboration with bodies involved in "the arrangement, co-ordination and provision of social and economic regeneration measures including the development and improvement of land and infrastructure". Also within section 33, the mayor would be responsible for the implementation of the Limerick city and county development plan, which will obviously have regeneration as a key element of it.Senator Gavan and I both live in Limerick and Senator Craughwell was there for many years. We know the importance of the regeneration of the area. There are fantastic communities living in all areas of the city. It is something we all fully support. While I appreciate the sentiment behind the Senator's amendments, I cannot accept them as the mayor's central role in respect of regeneration is already reflected in the Bill. Once again, I am looking at it with positivity. The mayor will be front and centre in driving regeneration in Limerick city and county.