Limerick, 08, June: Limerick Chamber has called for the next Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) and Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (LSMASP) to move beyond high-level ambition and become a delivery-led capital investment framework for the Mid-West.
In its submission to the Southern Regional Assembly’s Issues Paper consultation, Limerick Chamber says the Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area has the assets, population base and enterprise strength to make a far greater contribution to national growth, but that this potential will only be realised if infrastructure delivery, investment sequencing and accountability are placed at the heart of the revised strategy.
The Chamber’s submission highlights the need for a prioritised capital investment schedule for the Mid-West and Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area, covering transport, housing, water services, energy, ports, aviation, city-centre regeneration, education, healthcare, justice and enabling utilities.
Limerick Chamber says the region has experienced persistent delays in the delivery of strategic infrastructure, including major transport projects, housing-enabling infrastructure, grid capacity, wastewater treatment, renewable energy infrastructure, city-centre regeneration, and access to logistics hubs.
The submission also raises concern about regional investment disparity, noting that Limerick-Shannon receives the lowest per capita committed capital funding of Ireland’s five metropolitan areas. The Chamber says this underinvestment is constraining housing delivery, business confidence, competitiveness and balanced regional development.
Donnacha Hurley, CEO of Limerick Chamber, said:
Limerick and the wider Mid-West cannot afford another strategy that sets ambitious targets without the appropriate investment, delivery structures and accountability needed to achieve them. The next RSES must be infrastructure-led from the outset, with clear timelines, named delivery bodies and annual monitoring of progress.
The Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area is home to nationally significant assets, including Shannon Airport, Shannon Foynes Port, the Shannon Estuary, Limerick City, our universities and major employment centres. These should not be treated as regional add-ons; they are national growth enablers.
If Government is serious about balanced regional development, the Mid-West needs a fairer share of capital investment and a delivery-first approach to housing, transport, energy, healthcare and city-centre regeneration. Policy support without funding is not enough. Funding without delivery is not enough either.
The Chamber’s submission identifies housing as a major barrier to recruitment, retention and business expansion across the Mid-West. It calls for a specific housing-enabling programme for Limerick-Shannon, including serviced-land audits, brownfield activation, compact-growth delivery tables and stronger support for viable apartment and city-centre development.
On transport, the submission calls for the RSES and LSMASP to move from strategy to delivery, with clear support for BusConnects Limerick, metropolitan rail, Moyross Station, Ballysimon Station, Colbert Station regeneration, Limerick-Foynes rail, improved access to Shannon Airport, and strategic road upgrades including the N/M20 Cork-Limerick and N21/N69 connectivity.
The Chamber also calls for Shannon Foynes Port and the Shannon Estuary to be placed at the centre of Ireland’s renewable energy, offshore wind, floating offshore wind, green hydrogen, energy security and industrial decarbonisation strategy.
A key recommendation is the establishment of a Strategic Energy & Renewables Accelerator Ireland (SERAI), a plan-led framework to position the Shannon Estuary as Ireland’s leading Co-Location Green Energy Park and clean industrial cluster. The Chamber says SERAI would help align spatial planning, energy planning, enterprise policy, port investment, grid and gas infrastructure, industrial land activation, skills development and State supports.
Mr Hurley added:
The Shannon Estuary represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Ireland. With the right planning, infrastructure and investment framework, it can become a national and European energy hub, supporting offshore wind, green industry, energy security and long-term employment. But opportunity does not deliver itself. The RSES must identify the infrastructure, governance and investment mechanisms needed to turn that potential into projects, jobs and regional value.
Limerick Chamber is also calling for stronger recognition of Shannon Town as a strategic growth centre, enhanced use of Shannon Airport as an international gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way, investment in Limerick City Centre, support for the Shannon Town Masterplan, and a more integrated Limerick-Shannon Economic Zone that reflects the functional economic geography of the region rather than administrative boundaries alone.
The Chamber says the revised RSES should include a stronger implementation role for the Southern Regional Assembly, with greater coordination across public bodies and annual monitoring of infrastructure delivery.
