Visitors to Limerick this summer will be met by a team of "Street Ambassadors" to offer help with directions and provide information on tourist attractions.
The team of 10 ambassadors will be easily identifiable in their bright red uniforms. The five men and five women who range in age from 18 to 65 will be introduced to the public in Limerick tomorrow. The €70,000 funding for the project was secured from business interests in Limerick and the European Commission.
The project is the brainchild of the Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Diarmuid Scully. He said the system was already a major success in Chester in the UK and in Limerick's sister city of Spokane in the US.
"This will be a pilot project and if successful we will have to go back to the EU with an evaluation for next year," said the mayor.
The team will carry two-way radios and will liaise with litter wardens, traffic wardens, and gardaí to help ensure the city centre is safe and clean. They will be on duty from 10am to 6pm every day.