UNITED NATIONS SUPPORT FOR LIMERICK REGENERATION RESIDENTS GROUPS

Members of the Ballinacurra Weston Residents’ Alliance (BWRA) and affiliate organisations in Limerick Regeneration Watch were delighted with the news that their proposals for community participation has received the full backing of Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona , the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights.

Letter of Support

Matt Collins, Chairperson of the BWRA explained the background to the UN Special Rapporteur’s involvement:

“Last December we made a joint submission with the Weston Gardens Residents Association for the Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation plan. Part of our submission was a proposal that the Office of Regeneration should adopt a human rights based approach to community participation in the regeneration process and local Estate Management. We had used Magdalena’s reports to the Human Rights Council to make our case, so we contacted her early in January to thank her for the great work she does and we sent her a copy of our submission. We could hardly believe it when she replied to us with the offer of assistance.” said Matt

“At the end of the day we are a mandated group that is representative of the majority of residents, but we continue to be excluded from the decision making process, as residents we have no say on what happens. We are calling for community elections to be held in all regeneration areas to elect representatives on to localised power-sharing regeneration boards, similar to the one in Fatima Mansions, Dublin.” said Matt.

Martin Woodland, BWRA Secretary, said he was delighted with the news.

“I am delighted that we are been acknowledged for the work that we do, it is almost unbelievable that such a high profile figure as the UN’s Special Rapporteur has taken up our cause, especially when you consider the fact that our submission was ignored by local officials after we sent them hard copies for their convenience; they’d want to start paying attention now.” said Martin.

click here to view submission (pdf)

Chairperson of the Weston Gardens Residents’ Association (WGRA) and Limerick Regeneration Watch, Cathal McCarthy, said that their submission was part of a city-wide Human Rights Action Postcard Campaign by groups affiliated to Limerick Regeneration Watch that empowered residents to make individual submissions on the issue of community participation and reform of local Estate Management.

“Residents were only given 11 days’ notice from the Office of Regeneration to make submissions. We went door to door with the postcards, asking people if they would like to make a submission. Our campaign received the unanimous support from the residents we visited with; we didn't have time to get to every house as residents had a lot of questions and concerns. The Office of Regeneration hadn't even bothered to contact residents whose homes are being targeted for demolition in their new plan”, said Cathal.

Submission Postcard Front & Back

On 5^th December 2013, representatives of the BWRA and WGRA together with representatives of the Kincora & Carew Parks Concerned Residents Action Group (KCPCRAG) handed in over 250 signed postcards from residents living in the Southside Regeneration Area to the Office of Regeneration. The postcards, each one counted as an individual submission, called for the immediate reform of the failed structures for community participation in the regeneration process and local estate management stating that, "Residents have a fundamental right to participate in the decisions that affect our lives."

Pat Begley, Chairperson of the KCPCRAG, said that local Estate Management was not working in the best interest of residents.

“This situation where paid local Estate Management workers are appointed as resident’s representatives cannot be allowed to continue. They have no mandate, they were not elected by residents and they do not represent our best interests. They operate as a closed shop; membership of their committee, like the other areas, is by invitation-only and here in Carew Park their office is never open. ”

ABOVE: Kenneth Robinson and Pat Begley (KCPCRAG) with

Matt Collins (BWRA) handing the postcards at the LEDP

Tommy Daly, Chairperson of the Moyross Residents’ Alliance had also handed in postcards to the Office of Regeneration in Watch House Cross last December, welcomed the comments of the Special Rapporteur.

“It’s great to have such international support. It’s about time that they [Office of Regeneration] got up of their arses, start listening to people and treat residents with a bit of dignity. They should be upholding our human and constitutional rights. They need to stop talking down to us and start working with us as equals.” said Tommy.

The BWRA and their affiliates in Limerick Regeneration Watch are calling on all public representatives to join with the UN’s Special Rapporteur and lend their public support for their position on community participation.

“We have a human right to participate meaningfully in the decisions that affect our lives; as Magdalena has said’ ‘this is a matter of fundamental justice from a human rights perspective’. I hope the powers that be have the good sense to heed her words because this is not just a local issue, it is one of national importance as Magdalena has previously called on the Irish State to introduce legislation that would ensure real community participation in the regeneration process for communities throughout the country ” said Cathal

Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona

The text of the letter of support reads as follows:

[BEGINS]

OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS 

HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

SPECIAL PROCEDURES OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Geneva 13 February, 2014

TO WHOM IT MIGHT CONCERN

Participation is a human right in itself and a key means of realizing all other human rights. As United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, a core part of my mandate has been examining to what extent people living in poverty are able to enjoy their right to equal participation in public life. During my mission to Ireland in 20 11, I visited the Fatima Mansions regeneration project in Dublin. I praised this in my subsequent report to the Human Rights Council as a "good example of community participation in the decision making process that should be ensured in other projects".

I applaud the great work of the Ballinacurra Weston Residents' Alliance (BWRA) in working with disadvantaged communities to promote their agency, rights and voice, and I support their approach to community participation. I believe they have legitimate concerns about the limited extent to which residents have been able to participate in decision-making around regeneration and I therefore urge the relevant authorities in the Limerick regeneration areas to take their recommendations, based on human rights, into consideration. Tokenistic or formulaic participation is not empowering or rights-compliant. In order for people living in poverty to have their dignity upheld, they must be able to have a real say in decisions that affect their lives. As the BWRA has said, "Safe and sustainable communities can only be delivered through real and meaningful community participation and partnership", and moreover, I would add that this is a matter of fundamental justice from the human rights perspective.

Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

For more information

Report Mission to Ireland is available here:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/CountryVisits.aspx

Report on participation of people living in poverty in decisions that affect their lives is available here:

http://www .ohchr.org/EN/IssueslPovertylPagesl AnnualReports.aspx

[ENDS]

WHO IS MAGDALENA SEPVÚLDA CARMONA?

Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights (formerly Independent Expert).

Ms. Sepulveda is a Chilean lawyer who holds a Ph.D in International Human Rights Law from Utrecht University in the Netherlands; an LL.M in human rights law from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom and a post graduate diploma in comparative law from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.

Ms. Sepulveda has worked as a researcher at the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights, as a staff attorney at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and as the Co-Director of the Department of International Law and Human Rights of the United Nations-mandated University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica. She also served as a consultant to the Division of International Protection of UNHCR and to the Norwegian Refugee Council in Colombia. More recently she has been Research Director at the International Council on Human Rights Policy in Geneva and Associate Research Fellow at the Norwegian Center for Human Rights.

She was appointed Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty by the Human Rights Council in March 2008 and assumed her functions on 1 May of that year. In June 2011 the Human Rights Council extended the mandate on extreme poverty and human rights, and changed its title to Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights (HRC resolution 17/13).

(Source: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/MSepulveda.aspx)

Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona on Social Exclusion

Christmas Newsletter 2013

Newsletter delivered to every home in the designated regeneration area on Tuesday 31st December 2013:

        Click on the image or link below for pdf.

           BWRA News - Christmas 2013

Submission for Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan

        Click the image or the link below to view (PDF)

Joint Submission for the Limerick Regeneration Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan from the Ballinacurra Weston Residents' Alliance and the Weston Gardens Residents' Association

Human Rights - Regeneration Wrongs

The latest issue of BWRA News was delivered to every home in the legal remit of the Office of Regeneration on Friday, 11th of October:

BWRA Newsletter Autumn 2013

It's 3-weeks now since the Launch of the Limerick Regeneration Implementation Plan in Thomond Park and residents' have yet to receive a leaflet about the plan, which was promised at the launch by the Office of Regeneration boss, Mr. Oliver O'Loughlin. At the very least, residents should be properly informed. It's a disgrace that homes are being targeted for demolition without prior agreement.

The Office of Regeneration have yet to make their plan available online. Thankfully, the plan has been made available by Limerick Regeneration Watch:

Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan

"Consultations" & Proposals

Well, the 3-days of consultation are over. This long awaited and much anticipated event took place from March 5 - 8. It was advertised in the local media the week before and the BWRA promoted it on Facebook. 

Residents of the targeted "regeneration" area received their personal invitation the day before with a leaflet, the first one since the last Regeneration Newsletter in 2009. The leaflet had promised to dispel rumours and reveal all, so naturally there was a lot of interest from residents, with 70 attending during the opening night.

If the intention of the public consultations was to antagonise and demoralise residents, then Limerick City Council can be consider their efforts to be a resounding success. The proposed plans were more or less what the BWRA had informed residents of on page 15 of our Christmas Newsletter.

The proposals that were presented to residents were vague and unimpressive, consisting of an aerial photograph with proposed new roads, a new path, sites for medium-long term development and a site for short term new-build crudely indicated. Click on the image on the right to view the proposals (reorganised by the BWRA for online viewing - includes complete text), or on the link below to view a pdf of what residents were physically given: Proposals for Ballinacurra Weston March 2013 (pdf)



What we hadn't anticipated was that these proposals would be presented to residents without the inclusion of any recommendations from the National Crime Prevention Office (NCPO). From our discussions with the NCPO we have learned these are the same proposals that were received by the NCPO in October 2012. Requests for additional information by the NCPO in November 2012, such as site maps, went unanswered by Limerick City Council until the end of January 2013. The NCPO will present their report to the Office of Regeneration at City Hall on Thursday 28th March.

Some residents were informed during the consultation that their homes were targeted for demolition. Residents were also asked to give their feedback by filling out a form on the day and signing their name to it. There were no independent experts on hand to help residents interpret what they were being shown, only Office of Regeneration staff – none of whom have a background in planning. Indeed, it was reported to the BWRA that one Regeneration Official was unaware of the area under the remit of the Southside Regeneration Agency, which continues to define the target area.

A delegation of BWRA committee members (Matt Collins, Martin Woodland and Cathal McCarthy) attended the consultation on the last day during the last hour to seek clarification on the proposals. Sile O’Brien of the Office of Regeneration was on hand to answer our questions.

When asked why a CCTV camera that was already installed was part of the proposal. Ms. O'Brien told us that this was to ask residents if it is in the right location. It’s hardly likely that it would be removed if residents objected. Surely the best way to “ensure optimum location” for the camera would have been to consult with a security expert before it was installed. We highlighted the fact that the CCTV cameras on the Southside were not monitored and cited the Crime Prevention Office view that such unmonitored cameras "are not worth the money that was paid for them".

Ms. O'Brien was asked what was meant by “take houses out of dereliction” when pointing to the boarded-up houses in Weston Gardens. We were told that this could mean demolition or refurbishment. Ms. O'Brien was informed that residents there wanted the houses refurbished in line with the plans that were put on hold in 2007, that the expert view was that there should be no demolitions unless it involved an immediate re-build, this was the view of former City Engineer John Breen.

Ms. O’Brien was informed that residents in Beechgrove Ave were opposed to the proposed “new street from Beechgrove Ave to Crecora Ave” and that this was also the view of community Gardaí, who felt that it would create a “rat run” for joyriders. This also applies to the proposal to remove the wall at the side of the church to “allow both visual and physical access” and to the proposed “new streets” in the empty site where Clarina Park once stood. We asked why all these new roads were being built on an empty site. Ms. O’Brien said that it was to allow residents from Byrne Ave and Clarina Ave better access between the areas. We expressed the view that this was totally unnecessary and was not something that residents actually required.

We asked what was meant by the phrase “new build” in the “short term” and in the “medium-long term”. We were told that in the “short term” could mean 2-3 years and that it would involve the building of 4 houses for tenants to rent. In the “medium-long term” meant 8-10 years and that nothing had been decided regarding the type of “new build” on those sites.

We asked what was meant by “home for home in areas proposed for demolition” and expressed our concern for the family whose home was singled out on the proposal by a black dot. We were told that 40 boarded-up houses had been identified as suitable for refurbishment, the cost of which was capped at €30,000, and that home owners that were targeted for demolition would be offered one of these. Many residents have invested more than €30,000 in their homes over the years and Limerick City Council haven't exactly the best reputation when it comes to getting value for money (they paid €7,000 to have one bathroom refitted for an elderly tenant, who was left without a working shower for 4 weeks and numerous other problems after the job had been "finished").

We asked what conditions home owners could expect if they were offered a new house. We were told that “consent to sale” and “affordable housing” conditions would apply. We expressed the view that this was unconstitutional as it would change their status as home owners. We also expressed the view that many residents had been forced to leave and take what they were offered by the Council's policy of depopulation and boarding up houses one by one. This put pressure on residents living next to them to leave as the houses were left to be looted and eventually burnt out. We were told that that was our opinion. We informed Ms. O'Brien that the policy had been condemned in the Feeling Safe in Our Community Report (2011). Two more houses were boarded during the 3-day consultation period.

We expressed the view that the proposals were disappointing and informed Ms. O’Brien that many residents had contacted us and expressed their disgust and anger. Ms. O’Brien said that although it didn’t look like it, a lot of work had gone into producing the proposals in consultation with the “residents committee”. We informed Ms. O’Brien that the reps on the committee were hand-picked, did not consult with or keep residents informed, were not elected by residents and therefore did not represent us. Ms. O’Brien said that that was our opinion and that we were entitled to it. We informed Ms. O’Brien that it was not merely our opinion, but a matter of fact.

We asked if the Office would take on board the concerns of residents and amend their plans accordingly. We were told that “our input was welcomed”. We asked why residents were being ignored when reporting rubbish being dumped in council owned boarded-up houses. Ms. O’Brien said she was unaware of any such complaints. We informed Ms. O’Brien that we didn’t have any confidence in the consultation process as residents would have no say in the final decision and given the fact that Regeneration had commissioned numerous reports from experts over the years, none of which were ever implemented. If they won’t heed the expert opinions that they paid for what are the chances that they will heed resident’s views?

Finally, we asked why the proposals were presented to residents without including recommendations yet to be made by the National Crime Prevention Office. Ms. O’Brien said that she was unaware of it but that they “would welcome their input”. We said that we hoped the report would made available to the public and that the proposals would be revised to include recommendations to design out anti-social behaviour.

Before leaving we presented Ms. O'Brien with a copy of the Nexus Report, another expert opinion paid for by the taxpayer, this one makes recommendations to reform the failed structures for community participation and local estate management. This report is so damning that the Council are not content to simply ignore it, they have refused to publish it. 

If anyone in the Office of Regeneration takes the time to read it they will learn that, “Consultation should not take place after the decision has been made: independent community consultation should take place from day one.” and that “There can be a high level of frustration from residents when there is ‘no response’, or when they see that the results of consultation is being ‘ignored’" Consultation is considered to be meaningless unless it is part of a progressive process that leads to real participation.

The whole consultation was little more that a Public Relations stunt.

Closed Shop Group

In the interest of openness and transparency we feel compelled to publish the following piece of correspondence: 

On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 11:05 AM, LeeAnn Kennedy Purcell wrote:

Without Prejudice / Private and Confidential

Contents not to be forwarded or disclosed without the express permission of the Author

Hello Cathal & Mattie

Thank you for your email the other night.

I just wanted to refer to your advertisement on the Leader recently. I was more than a little disappointed about your reference to the community lawnmower and “alleged insurance issues”. They were very valid reasons and our honest answer and I think that it was very unfair of you to intimate otherwise. Furthermore as you know the Estate Management Committee is a subcommittee of the CSG. We do have residents on the Committee and indeed a local person is the Chair.   

Can you explain why you decided to mention these two particular items in your advertisement without verifying them first and what was your intention in doing so? We need to improve our communication if we are to work together for the benefit of our community – which is, at all times, my priority.

I await hearing from you.

Regards

Lee-Ann

Lee-Ann Kennedy Purcell

CEO 

Our Lady of Lourdes Community Services Group Ltd
Greenfields Cross,
Rosbrien, Limerick

Here's our reply:

TO: Lee-Ann Kennedy Purcell, CEO, Our Lady of Lourdes Community Services Group Ltd., Greenfields Cross, Rosbrien, Limerick.

Dear Lee-Ann

We refer to your recent e-mail of Monday, June 25, 2012.

As the intended recipient, the Ballinacurra Weston Residents' Alliance (BWRA) reserves the right to publish all correspondence/e-mails that we receive regarding issues of concern to our community. Only correspondence/e-mails that are sent/received on behalf of our individual members are treated as private and confidential. This is our policy and we are not about to change it because of the legally threatening disclaimer at the beginning of your e-mail.

You referred to our most recent ad in the Limerick Leader (view advert) and our reference to the refusal of local Estate Management to allow use of the community ride-on lawnmower in our area because of alleged insurance issues.

Last year, the BWRA purchased a petrol lawnmower, which broke down for the third time on May 14. We had contacted the Estate Management Officer, Katherine Kirby, on May 15 requesting that rubbish that had been gathered during a community clean-up organised by the BWRA be collected and that the community ride-on lawnmower be used to cut the grass on the numerous large green sites in our area, we were refused on both counts.

Prior to publication of the ad we had enquired with 3 insurance companies regarding insurance for ride-on lawnmowers for use in the community and we discovered that is a relatively simple process. Indeed, if we had the model and serial number we could provide you with quotations, in fact the BWRA could purchase our own insurance to use the ride-on lawnmower ourselves. We are also aware that the ride-on lawnmower was recently used to cut the Parish Priest's grass in his large garden, there didn't seem to be an insurance issue then so it is accurate to describe the matter as "alleged" when referring to the excuse we were given.

As you are aware, the BWRA has entered Tidy Towns. We were invited to do so by Limerick City Council and we are working with the Weston Gardens Residents' Association (WGRA) and the School Completions Programme in this regard. We had hoped to receive support from service providers such as local Estate Management, but they are also entering Tidy Towns for estates outside the designated regeneration area. It is our view that service providers shouldn't be allowed to enter such competitions, but act as support for established residents groups, such as ourselves.

We are more than aware that the Estate Management Committee is a sub-committee of the Community Service Group Ltd. (CSG). You may be aware that your appointment as CEO of the CSG was prompted by a recommendation arising from a report on the "Review of the Structure, System, Role and Functions of Our Lady of Lourdes Community Service Group Ltd" in 2010. The BWRA received a copy of this report from an anonymous sender last year.

The report noted that the 46 positions available on the sub-committees were taken up by a total of 29 people with 2 positions vacant and stated that:

"The sub committees do not have constitutions and do not operate in a similar manner to one another. There are no common membership, nomination, representation, election or rotation procedures across the Advisory Groups/Committees. The membership is in general by invitation with each Advisory Group/Committee tending to operate in its own fashion which has grown up over the years. This can lead to the domination of a Committee/Advisory Group by a single member or small number of members, which can further reinforce the perception in some quarters of the 'closed shop' syndrome"

We recently became aware that a resident of our area for little under a year, is our "Community Representative" on the Estate Management Sub-Committee and that this was by invitation of the CSG. Incidentally, this resident and her husband were imported into our area last year by the Regeneration Agency. They were given a house in the area ahead of others on the housing list and at a time when perfectly good houses on the same street were being boarded up and refused to families in need. Her husband was subsequently co-opted on to the agency-established residents forum  to replace the Community Representatives that had resigned the previous year. Their loyalty and commitment to our community is highly questionable. We are unaware who chairs the Estate Management Sub-Committee. 

Prior to receiving the report, the BWRA wrote to the CSG requesting to be involved and asking to nominate representatives, after all, based on completed membership forms we are representative of 95% of residents. We were politely thanked for our interest, but informed that membership was by invitation only as this was, bizarrely, considered by the CSG to be best practice, despite having commissioned and received  a report that stated otherwise. 

The report also noted that the CSG Board of Directors contained only 4 members that were resident in the parish and stated that "these have all been on the Board since the incorporation of the CSG in 1995. This is a further potential cause of the CSG's perception as being a 'closed shop'." None of these parishioners live in our area. It may interest you to know that before we had read the report, we referred to the CSG as the "Closed Shop Group". Needless to say, we still do, as the reports recommendation that 4 Community Representatives should be nominated by Our Lady of Lourdes Umbrella Group was never implemented. The cosmetic reshuffling of the Board of Directors hardly constitutes the real change and inclusiveness called for by the report. 

The report highlighted the many other failings of the CSG such as a "lack of equality of area and interest representation on Board and Advisory Group/Committees", a "lack of openness and transparency in relation to the organisations structures, management and operation", a "lower than desirable level of involvement of the client groups in management structures", "failure to reach the 'hard to reach'", a "lack of an inclusive of all ethos" and a "perception that people from certain areas are not welcome". We would assert that these remain live issues.

You are of course correct when you say that "we need to improve our communication". A good example of this lack of communication is provided by the CSG applying on 31 May for planning permission to build a two-storey extension for the provision of toilet facilities and changing rooms for the all-weather pitch without  involving the Interim Pitch Management Committee (of which we are both members) in the process or even informing us that plans had been submitted. While the plans are to be welcomed, it was Limerick City Council that wrote to the BWRA with the news and invited us to examine the plans before making a submission, not the CSG. As you are aware, the BWRA had campaigned for the toilets and changing facilities to be provided for from the beginning.

The BWRA wants to see more inclusive structures put in place that would allow for real community participation in the day-to-day management of our estate. We believe that positions, such as that of Estate Management Officer, should only be open to residents. If such paid workers decide to leave our community, as Ms. Kirby did over 8-years ago, then they should also leave their job. Ultimately, we believe that such work should be voluntary and in these austere times that makes perfect sense. Sub-committees should be directly elected by and accountable to the community. Our community has been failed by our so-called service providers, who effectively colluded in the destruction of our area.

We hope that this provides some clarification and we would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the CSG on your successful application for a Social & Voluntary grant, we would like to know how you intend to spend the €24,000 awarded to the CSG. 

Finally, please be advised that both the BWRA and the WGRA will not be participating with you in Pride of Place as we feel that this would send a false impression of unity and inclusiveness; these are issues that we should be highlighting and seeking to change, not pretending that they already exist.

Yours Sincerely

Matt Collins

Chairperson, Ballinacurra Weston Residents Alliance

087 65 77 063

Cathal McCarthy

PRO, Ballinacurra Weston Residents' Alliance

Cathaoirleach, Weston Gardens Residents' Association

087 784 50 70

www.bwra.blogspot.ie

www.limerickregeneration.org

cc: all our media contacts, City Councillors, Government TD's and the Minister for Environment.

REGENERATION MEETING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS SLAMMED BY RESIDENTS

Residents’ representatives and community activists in Limerick’s regeneration areas have slammed a meeting of regeneration workers and board members as “exclusionary and elitist”.

The meeting, which was held in an undisclosed city-centre location last week, was organised by Southside Regeneration Board member, Fr. Pat Hogan.

“This meeting was not held in the interest of the people living in regeneration areas, if it was it would have been publicised” said Tommy Daly, Chairperson of the Moyross Residents’ Alliance.

“I have been reliably informed that the purpose of this meeting was to form a new Regeneration committee with a view to holding a meeting with the new Director of Regeneration, Oliver O’Loughlin. These are some of the same people who worked against our communities as they were destroyed over the past five years and now they think they can keep their gravy train going. Well it’s not on; we want real representation and inclusion in any new arrangements” said Mr. Daly.

Attending the meeting were Fr. Pat Hogan, Fr. Tony O’Riordan, Brian Thompson, Nuala Kernan , Liam McElligot, Chris Sheridan, Mary Higgins, Katherine Kirby, Chirs Quinn, Chris Dhuig, Con Corrigan, to name but a few.

“Apart from the two parish priests, most of these people are paid community workers living outside the regeneration areas” said Cathal McCarthy, chairperson of Limerick Regeneration Watch.

“They were amongst the few to have benefited from this so-called regeneration, through jobs and lucrative contracts. Nuala Kernan for example, is an architect from Caherdavin who works with St. Mary’s Park and sits on the Northside Regeneration Board. Katherine Kirby lives in Raheen and is an estate management worker in Ballinacurra Weston.  Essentially, they are functionaries of the state and have failed represent our best interests over the past five years, this meeting was exclusionary and elitist”, said Mr. McCarthy, who is also the Community & Voluntary representative for Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

“I contacted Fr. Hogan as I am concerned that once again residents’ voices will be ignored if this new committee is co-opted by Limerick City Council when the Regeneration Agencies close in June. He claimed that they were only meeting to offer each other support. Its residents that need to be supported and included in any new regeneration committee” said Mr. McCarthy

Mr. McCarthy said he was surprised by Fr. Hogan’s reaction to his phone call:  “He told me it was 10 O’clock and hung up on me. I didn’t consider it too late and I had hoped to arrange a meeting with him, but he didn’t want to know” said Mr. McCarthy

Community participation is considered to be a vital component of any regeneration project and Matt Collins, chairperson of the Ballinacurra Weston Residents’ Alliance says that this is something that was absent from the Limerick model to date

“We had the toothless resident forums; I was a rep on one for 3-years, but it wasn’t real participation, it was just a way to keep us quiet and pretend we were involved. Most of us left and set up the BWRA to demand change and represent resident’s’ concerns and views” said Mr. Collins.

“We’re looking for community elections to be held that would elect representatives onto a local power-sharing regeneration board, like they had in Fatima Mansions and St. Michaels Estate in Dublin. People have been making decisions without even consulting or informing residents and that has to stop. I am aware that Fr. Hogan was advised by the St. Michaels Estate Regeneration Team to link in with our group when he visited that area last year, but he didn’t bother. Now he’s organising meetings and deliberately excluding residents who are active in their communities. It’s a disgrace” said Mr. Collins, who is also the RAPID rep for Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

Pat Begley of the Southill based Carew/Kincora Concerned Residents said that the level community participation in the regeneration process has been non-existent, saying that “local estate management seems to have taken over the regeneration forum and are acting like they’re community reps, only their not representing the views of the community. We need to hold community elections in all four regeneration areas to give residents a real voice and a say in the decision making process.”

[ENDS]

For Further Information Contact:

Cathal McCarthy: 087 784 50 07
Limerick Regeneration Watch: www.limerickregeneration.org

Tommy Daly: 086 305 80 49
Moyross Residents Alliance: www.mralimerick.com

Matt Collins: 087 65 77 063
Ballinacurra Weston Residents Alliance: www.bwra.blogspot.com

Pat Begley:  087 978 38 48
Carew & Kincora Concerned Residents

BWRA to enter Tidy Towns

The BWRA will be entering the Tidy Towns competition this year and following representations from residents a number of sites have been identified.

If you would like further information or if you would like to help the BWRA in developing these sites then contact:

Matt Collins (Chair): 087 65 77 063

Cathal McCarthy: (PRO): 087 784 50 70

New Policy Document Launched in University of Limerick

The Ballinacurra Weston  Residents' Alliance (BWRA) in association with Limerick Regeneration Watch launched 'Residents First- towards real community participation in regeneration areas' at a 3-day conference in the University of Limerick on 'Renewing Local Democracy Through Civic Engagement'. This summer school, organised by UL's Department of Politics and Public Administration, ran from 13th - 15th June and was well attended by over 100 participants. Many of the lectures and workshops were about community participation.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO READ

The purpose of the School was to allow time for dialogue, debate and indeed disagreement about the merits and mechanics of local democracy in Ireland. Thus, the majority of sessions were highly participatory in nature and focused on combining the expertise of invited speakers with the experience of participants in the summer school. Participants were invited to bring along material for display to highlight their own initiatives and activities.

"I was originally invited to participate in the Community Circle on day-three of the school; 'Listening and Hearing - Experiences of Community Engagement', and had hoped to bring attention to our new
publication, Residents First" said Cathal McCarthy, Chairperson of Limerick Regeneration Watch.and PRO with the Ballinacurra Weston Residents' Alliance

"But then an invitation was issued to all members of Our Lady of Lourdes Umbrella Group to attend the school and quite a few of us jumped at the chance" added Mr. McCarthy, who is also treasurer of the Umbrella Group.

"We had originally intended to launch Residents First on the 25th of June to coincide with the 4th anniversary of Brendan Kenny's appointment as CEO of the Limerick Regeneration Agencies but the summer school was the perfect venue, especially with the Minister for Environment, Phil Hogan, opening the school. The Ministers opening address gave me hope that things will be different under his watch, that change is in the air and we might finally be listened to." said Matt Collins, Chairperson of the BWRA.

The theme of Day 2 was 'Public Participation and Planning' and the opening lecture by Ciaran Lynch of the Tipperary Institute, whose topic of 'Public Participation in Planning in Ireland' was fascinating and insightful, detailing the various types of community participation from 'best practice' to the 'fraudulent'. This was followed by a Workshop - Planning for Community and Area Regeneration, with presentations from Mike Scannell of Tralee Town Council - 'Urban Regeneration in Tralee' and Declan Blackett of the Limerick Regeneration Agencies - 'Participation in Limerick Regeneration'

"The difference in approach of Tralee Town Council to regeneration and their treatment of residents when compared to their counterparts in Limerick was a real eye-opener. I had to refer back to that mornings lecture and described the Limerick approach to community participation as fraudulent." said Mr. McCarthy

"In Tralee, if you're a homeowner and they want to knock your home, they move you into rented  accommodation and they pay the rent for you. When your new house is built they move you back in as a homeowner, its deeds for deeds in Tralee. Here in Limerick you're given €35,000 for your home and turned into a tenant, never to return", said Mr. Collins "And in Tralee, residents were also given the option of refurbishment and this was done in some areas. Here in Limerick the decisions are being made for us without even consulting properly with residents" he concluded.

Residents First is being sent to all Limerick City Councillors and TD's, all members of the Cabinet and leading members of the opposition. It is hoped that it will act as a catalyst for change in the way that the Limerick Regeneration Agencies does business and engages with the communities under their remit.

"We didn't get a chance to meet Phil Hogan at the Summer School, but we did present a copy of Residents First to Willie Penrose, Minister fir Housing, when he visited Our Lady of Lourdes Action Centre recently, he said he'd take the time to read it, hopefully so will his colleagues". said Mr. McCarthy.

Ends
For further information
contact:

Cathal McCarthy (Limerick Regeneration Watch)

M: 087 78 45 070 E: info@limerickregeneration.org
Matt Collins (Ballinacurra
Weston Residents' Alliance)

M: 087 65 77 063 E: westonalliance@gmail.com

Watch Us on YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/RegenerationWatch