The chief executive of the multimillion euro Regeneration Project in Limerick is to leave his post in June. Brendan Kenny confirmed yesterday he will return to his previous post as assistant Dublin city manager after a summer break.
Yesterday, more than €30 million was announced by the Government to develop housing projects this year in Limerick city, including regeneration.
His five-year contract as head of the Limerick Regeneration Agency ends on June 14th.
Despite threatening to walk away from the project last year because of delays in moving plans from demolition to construction, Mr Kenny said he was hopeful this year the project would experience a “major shift”.
“The first houses [in Moyross] will be completed in November. Things have moved on and there will be changes certainly. I expect there will be a major shift this year from demolition to construction. I’m very hopeful. Even though the economic climate is poor, with little money around, one must keep the momentum going.”
Mr Kenny said serious gun crime in Limerick’s regeneration areas had improved.
However, he remains cautious about the future of the estates where children were badly burned in a petrol bombing, and where numerous gangland murders have occurred.
“The concern is that the foot is taken off the pedal and then things can spiral out of control. One has to think back to how it was a few years back . . . people were shooting each other in the streets.”