Limerick City and County Council has hosted Limerick's first Integration, Health and Wellbeing Conference.
The event, held across October 14th and 15th, covered the two key themes of ‘Integration and Inclusion’ from a local government perspective and ‘Migrant Health and Wellbeing’.
Some of the issues covered within those themes included accommodation services, health services, women’s health and wellness and sporting facilities.
Contributors included officials from Limerick City and County Council’s Integration team, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs & Migration, Midwest Simon, the Local Government Management Agency, Limerick City Partnership, Ballyhoura Development, West Limerick Resources, DORAS, Mary Immaculate College, the Jesuit Refugee Centre and others.
The event follows work on Limerick’s latest integration strategy beginning earlier this year, which will work towards creating a vibrant, inclusive and truly intercultural society in Limerick.
Local Authority Integration Teams were formally established and resourced almost two years ago and affirm the important role Limerick City and County Council has to play in integration.
Mayor of Limerick, John Moran addressed the conference. He commented:
“This conference marks a significant step towards the ultimate goal of the More for Limerick mayoral programme, which is the powerful idea of ‘equal opportunity for all’. By bringing communities together and ensuring every individual and family can access the support they need, whether that be for health, housing, education or other critical services, it strengthens Limerick as a whole. We’re continuing to shape Limerick city and county into a more compassionate and connected place to live, work and study.”
Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Niall Collins TD delivered the keynote address:
“Seventy years ago, Richard Harris left Limerick and was told to lose his Irish accent if he wanted to succeed. Just as Irish emigrants once faced exclusion abroad, we must now ensure that those who come to Ireland are welcomed and supported. Limerick and the Mid-West have a proud tradition of community leadership and I believe we can lead the way in shaping a national model for integration, one where no one feels they must change who they are in order to belong.”
Limerick City and County Council received accreditation to the European Healthy Cities/Counties in June 2025 in Bursa, Turkiye. This accreditation further strengthens Limerick City and County Council’s mandate to work in the community health and wellbeing space.
The approach seeks to put health and wellbeing high on the political and social agenda of cities and to build a strong movement for community led, evidence based health and wellbeing at the local government level.
Director General, Limerick City and County Council, Dr Pat Daly, delivered the closing remarks at the conference. He commented:
“Limerick has implemented a number of integration strategies since 2010, each acting as a building block and making great progress to where we are now. It can be seen in a myriad of ways, including festivals and many events around Limerick, which are enhanced by the participation and often leadership of multicultural communities.”