It seems Westbury and Shannon Banks are set to come under the control of a new authority governing Limerick City and County.
The move is understood to be part of recommendations contained in the report into Local Government Structures in Limerick set to be revealed this afternoon after it was cleared by Cabinet yesterday.
The Limerick Local Government Committee headed up by Denis Brosnan was set up to look at local government structures in the Mid West with the aim of reinstating Limerick as the third largest city in the county in order to make it a driving force for ecomic growth in the region.
However the committee’s report makes a number of controversial recommendations which include bringing parts of South East Clare- Shannon Banks and Westbury- under the control of one single authority governing Limerick City and County.
This would see Clare’s population slashed by 3000.. The new authority would also take full control of the entire campus of UL – much of which is in Clare and also proposes that the county council here would recommend that one councillor would represent the areas set to come under Limerick control.
Its reported today the new authority could be in place within two years.
The reports findings were scheduled to be brought before Cabinet yesterday and in an evening briefing political correspondents were informed that the report had been cleared for publication despite the absence of the committee chairman Denis Brosnan.
However he is now back in the country and will give a briefing on the reports findings at a press conference in Limerick City this afternoon.
