A LABOUR TD has accused Fianna Fáil of attempting a “land grab” by proposing to bring some parts of Co Clare under the new local authority planned for Limerick.

FF’s environment and local government spokesman Niall Collins – himself a Limerick TD – had proposed an amendment to local government legislation going through the Dáil.

His plan – which met with the ire of Labour’s Michael McNamara, a Clare TD – would have brought Shannon Banks, Westbury, Carrig Meade and Athlundard in Co Clare under the jurisdiction of the planned new Limerick Local Government Authority.

That authority is due to take effect from the 2014 local elections onward, replacing the current city and county councils operating in the historical County Limerick area.

Collins’ proposal would also have seen some parts of the University of Limerick campus – which includes three bridges over the Shannon to include small pockets of Co Clare – reassigned to fall within the Limerick area.

“In order for the job to be complete and have Limerick City recognised in its totality, these parts which are urban centres should form part of the greater Limerick City area, as part of an administrative area under the new single authority,” Collins told the Dáil.

While there would be “small little squabbles over parts of county boundaries”, Collins said, “we have to arise above that.”

He noted that planning minister Jan O’Sullivan, who was presiding over the debate on the government benches, was herself a TD for Limerick City.

“I don’t have to teach you, minister, as a representative of Limerick City how to suck eggs,” the Fianna Fáil deputy said.

All politics is local

Labour’s McNamara was not as enthusiastic about the county boundary being adjusted to remove some of his home turf.

He said that whatever about Limerick being recognised in its totality, he wanted “the totality of County Clare to be recognised once and for all”.

“Not only was Aer Lingus privatised by Fianna Fáil so it can leave Clare on a whim, [and] not alone was Aer Rianta International transferred to the Dublin Airport Authority, now Mr Collins is proposing that part of Clare be transferred into Limerick City,” he said.

McNamara added – to the agreement of O’Sullivan – that the University of Limerick, when making its submissions to an earlier commission investigating proposed changes to the county border, had not proposed to move the Clare parts of its campus into Limerick.

O’Sullivan, responding officially, said proposals involving county boundaries “always give rise to very strong feelings” and said that while there was some “logic” to Collins’ idea, the government would not accept the amendment.

The question was put, and a majority of the members present voted against the amendment. Collins did not look to summon the rest of his party for a follow-up vote.