The parish priest of one of the country's most socially deprived
areas has claimed that a recent TV documentary on his parish contained
many truths.
Fr Pat Hogan (pictured), parish priest of Limerick's Southhill parish said that a recent Prime Time exposé about the social problems in Southhill had truth at its core.
The Prime Time Investigates programme has been condemned in
some quarters as yet another hatchet job on Limerick but Fr Hogan said
that instead of criticising the programme makers, the city and its
citizens should examine how they have allowed the social problems to
develop.
“It's not the first time for such eruptions of anger at TV programmes
regarding Limerick. Yes, there are lots of questions that could be
asked about last week's programme regarding balance, the use of
vulnerable people, even where the programme makers used themselves.
However, before we exhaust all of our energy on TV programme makers, let
us save some of it for some of our Limerick people. Why did people not
get angry when elderly people were driven from their homes by
intimidation?”
He continued, “For years many lived as if they were under siege,
quietly watching from darkened windows, protecting their property all
night, every night. But they grew tired, or found themselves physically
attacked and surrendered their homes back to the City Council.”
“Some were paid some weren't. Last week's Prime Time programme
did no favours for Limerick. It may have been unbalanced, all
negative, but there is a truth at its core and we in Limerick need to
face up to it.”
SIC: CIN/IE