Limerick's city boundary should be extended to incorporate the portion of Co Limerick lying north of the Shannon to facilitate the regeneration of Moyross, according to former Dublin city manager John Fitzgerald.
Although a press release issued by the Department of the Environment on Tuesday made no mention of this, Mr Fitzgerald said it was critical.
In his full report on addressing social exclusion in Moyross and other deprived parts of Limerick, which has been seen by The Irish Times, he said that the boundary extension would help to focus efforts on regenerating these areas.
"In my opinion, the boundary on the northside of the city is dysfunctional. Three local authorities are involved in an area that's crying out for regeneration, so I see that extension as something that should be done in the short term in the interests of the city."
The report points out that the current local government arrangements have led to a proliferation of shopping centres on the outskirts of the city and a concentration of social housing - amounting to 42 per cent of the total stock - within its existing boundary.
Mr Fitzgerald's report, which was accepted by the Government this week, also recommends the creation of two dedicated regeneration agencies - one for the northside of Limerick, including Moyross, and one for the southside, including Southill.
The first priority it identifies is dealing with the issue of criminality, which would be "fundamental to creating the conditions for other interventions to be successful", and it recommends the deployment of 100 extra gardaí in the target areas.
Saying this was "a matter of urgency", the report adds: "Undoubtedly the reality of serious criminal activity, and the resulting negative perception of the city, is inhibiting these communities, the city and surrounding areas from reaching their full potential".
Other priorities would be to "create employment, unlock value, improve access and create a better commercial and housing mix [ as well as] developing co-ordinated responses to social and educational problems, in order to break the cycle of disadvantage".
These estates are among the most deprived in the country, the report says.
But it goes on: "It is important to note, particularly in the context of proposing solutions, that the problems in these estates have developed over some considerable time."
Describing their conditions as "stark" and quality of life as "extremely poor", Mr Fitzgerald says that this "cannot fully bring home what I found to be the everyday reality faced by these local communities. The picture that emerged . . . was in many respects quite shocking."
"Violent crime, related both to gang rivalry and drugs, is now a very serious issue and is gradually extending over wider areas. Families have been intimidated and houses burned out, making it difficult to re-let them . . . Anti-social behaviour is also a major concern.
"The scale of the criminal, social, and economic problems in areas such as Moyross . . . is not only a blight on the communities that have to live there but, left unchecked, could pose a real threat to commercial and social life in Limerick city as a whole."
Unemployment is five times the national average, and this problem is exacerbated by extremely weak transport links.
Young people living in Moyross or Southill also find it more difficult to get jobs because of negative perceptions of the areas.
"There is a serious problem of educational disadvantage," the report says. "It is not unusual to see young people, often of primary school age, wandering the streets . . . More support for creches, before and after-school clubs, and activities for youths, is clearly required."
Mr Fitzgerald calls for the demolition of 1,000 houses which he says are beyond remediation.
"At reasonable density levels, the footprint of the land area involved could provide between 2,000 and 3,000 housing units" - about a quarter to meet social housing needs.
"This process will require intensive consultation with the local community on the basis that the vast majority are law-abiding citizens who will wish to remain, and can therefore be guaranteed secure, good quality, housing within the regenerated areas."
Asked yesterday about the cost, which some estimates have put at €300-€400 million, Mr Fitzgerald said "a lot of it simply involves refocusing resources already within the system" and that private sector funding would also be released by a return of confidence.
