As Millie and Gavin continued their recovery at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, their uncle sent out a message to Limerick's feuding factions.

Leo McNamara told the Sunday Tribune: "The shooting of little Jordan Crawford brought back a lot of bad memories for us. All children are innocent and they should never get caught up in something like this."

The children's long journey to recovery took another step forward last week when Gavin had the last of his feeding tubes removed. "Millie is doing very well while Gavin is a lot slower to recover as his injuries were a lot worse.

Since Gavin got out the last of his feeding tubes, he is being fed orally and the medical staff are trying to make his life as normal as possible, " McNamara said.

"They have him exercising but he is not allowed to mix with other children as there is a risk of infection. His head is virtually an open wound and he is missing one of his ears so any slight infection could set him back for weeks."

Millie and Gavin's family have thanked people for their generosity in supporting the benefit fund that was set up for the two burns victims.

"We are going to need that fund for a long time as their recovery will take years and Gavin is going to have to get a prosthetic ear. He has horrific wounds and it is a miracle that he is still alive, " McNamara added.

The outrage has spurred the government into appointing John Fitzgerald to address social exclusion, crime and disorder issues in the Moyross estate. However, local Labour councillor John Ryan warned that "the government's recent plans are not going to work unless we deal with about 40 to 45 young lads who are running riot in Limerick. Even though they are only aged between 14 and 20, they have semi-automatic pistols readily available to them and unless this problem is got rid of no solution is going to work."

The Sunday Tribune has learned that meetings took place last week between community groups in Moyross to show support for a plan to have part of the Limerick IT campus set up in the estate.

Allen Meagher, editor of Changing Ireland magazine, based in Moyross said: "We have Berlin-style walls between Moyross and Limerick IT which makes people in Moyross feel separated from the rest of the world."

Dr Maria Hinfelaar, director of Limerick IT, confirmed that her institution and Moyross Community Enterprise Centre have been working on a feasibility study for the past year.

"The right conditions and the right environment will have to be created in Moyross for this plan to become a success. This project on its own cannot provide the solution to socio-economic problems but it can be part of the solution, " she said.