The new directly elected mayor of Limerick has asked Taoiseach Simon Harris for €2bn of the Apple tax fund to be given to the city and county, writes Ken Fox.
In a plea to Mr Harris, mayor John Moran said that because the €14bn windfall had come from industrial operations in Munster, over half the money should go to the region.
He suggested the money should be split, with €3.5bn going to Cork, €2bn to Waterford, €1bn to Galway and €2bn to Limerick.
In a lengthy letter and submission to the Taoiseach in September, Mr Moran said this would help rebalance the country’s economy which was “dangerously concentrated in the east”.
Limerick’s mayor also wrote to thank Mr Harris for his strong support in local government reform and for direct elections.
He said: “You suggested, somewhat gently, that reform was never easy – and after just 90 days in the job I admit you were correct!”
He said the challenges facing Limerick were significant, but “not insurmountable”.
The mayor asked for the support of the Government in three areas, namely signalling investment in the county’s underused rail system, a comprehensive suburban transport plan, and an investigation of providing a new hospital on a new site.
He added Limerick – and other regional cities – were supposed to be growing at twice the rate of Dublin, yet there was “a huge disparity” in investment.
Mr Moran wrote: “I am therefore asking for a commitment to additional funding for each of the regional cities and happy to suggest the type of critical projects which could then be prioritised by you for Limerick in this context.
“The amount for Limerick’s catch-up allocation would be some €2bn.”
Mr Moran – who previously worked in the Department of Finance – said he was “revisiting [his] Budget writing skills” to offer some suggestions to be included in the speeches of Ministers Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe last October.
He explained how the €2bn could be used, including €200m for a development project at Colbert Railway Station and €50m for a central library.
Another €140m commitment was sought for a new building for the OPW and Revenue at the city’s Opera Centre.
A suggested text for the budget speech said: “Money alone will not deliver projects. So, I am also announcing a supplementary allocation of €20m of operating expenditure to the Mayor of Limerick, funding to cover salaries, set-up costs and otherwise fund for 2025 an infrastructure and mayoral programme delivery support team in Limerick.”
A spokesman for Mr Moran said the Lord Mayor had welcomed the significant allocation made for the Limerick community in Budget 2025.
He said: “The decisions of the Government now provide the funding for concrete steps to be taken to equalise the level of capital investments on both sides of the country.
“Limerick is open for business and working hard to progress projects.”
Other asks included €250m for rail projects, €30m for a Museum of Gaming and other tourist draws, and €25m to “re-imagine Rathkeale – one of our most disadvantaged towns”.
Rathkeale made headlines recently after the death of mother of one Marguerita O’Rourke, 21, who died after a van collided with a set of gates she was standing beside on December 21.
Photo: John Moran, Mayor of Limerick, at his campaign HQ.Photograph: Fran Veale
