21 Jan Taoiseach impressed with Limerick Twenty Thirty work and local authority vision

Limerick Twenty Thirty’s early progress in helping to revitalise the economy of Limerick and the region has been commended by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, TD.

Speaking following Friday’s meeting with Limerick Twenty Thirty CEO David Conway at the company’s Gardens International office site on Henry Street, which is set for completion later this year, An Taoiseach also singled out Limerick City and County Council for having the initiative to establish the company in the first instance.

He said:  “I’m really delighted to visit Limerick today and visit some of the sites that are being developed as part of Limerick Twenty Thirty, sites here in Limerick City, a city that we want to grow economically and in population terms over the next couple of years.

“I really want to compliment Limerick City and County Council in taking the initiative to set up a development company; a special purpose vehicle to develop these city centre sites and bring life back into the heart of this great city.

“The story of Limerick in the last couple of years has been a very positive one, an economy that is starting to take off again and also we are very ambitious in developing this city as an economic growth centre.  That, of course, means increasing the population but, increasingly, we want people to be in our city centres and Limerick Twenty Thirty really speaks to that.”

Among those to attend the brief meeting were Deputy Michael Noonan, Senators Kieran O’Donnell and Maria Byrne.  Said Limerick Twenty Thirty CEO David Conway:  “The very fact that the Taoiseach took time out of his busy schedule to meet with us says a lot about the role this company is playing. He applauded the programme we are undertaking and was taken both by our intention to take the economy of Limerick to the next level but also by trying to do so through developing iconic but disused sites in the city.

“He was particularly pleased to see the progress so far.  This week alone the Council of Europe Development Bank formally signed up for €85m in finance for our Opera Site project with Limerick City and County Council, which comes on top of another €85m in funding for the same project from the European Investment Bank just eight weeks ago. That’s a €200m development that will accommodate 3,000 employees on completion. It’s our biggest city centre project and will deliver huge economic and social dividends for not just the city but the region.

“Meanwhile, work continues at International Gardens on Henry Street, where An Taoiseach visited today. That’s a €20m development due for completion in the third quarter of this year and will have up to 750 people employed.

“We have master-planning underway for the Cleeves Riverside Campus and for our Mungret Park residential development.  All of this in just 18 months since the company was established.  The pace of development was not lost on the Taoiseach and he got a real sense of just how much of an impact Limerick Twenty Thirty will have on the city over the coming years.”