'Savaged by a lamb'

Council criticised for ‘weak’ response to antisocial behaviour

Residents experiencing antisocial behaviour in estates should not be afraid of making confidential complaints, the September meeting of Tipperary Co Council was told.

The meeting heard of issues ranging from drug dealing to noisy parties to rubbish being piled up at the backs of houses. Council tenants had in several cases requested transfers to get away from their unruly neighbours because it was taking so long for anything to be done about the problem.

Cllr David Dunne said antisocial behaviour in housing estates has “gone through the roof”. Private residents, who had paid a lot of money for their houses, were in some cases also affected by neighbouring council tenants.

Tipperary Co Council is the landlord and is responsible for tackling these issues, but Cllr Dunne said the local authority seemed to be giving “chance after chance” to those at fault, only to have it “thrown back in our face”.

In agreement was Cllr Anne Marie Ryan, who said the council appeared to be “extremely tolerant” of antisocial behaviour.

Cllr Liam Browne said many people are afraid to complain about their neighbours for fear of repercussions. He suggested that elected representatives should be able to make complaints on their behalf.

Cllr Eddie Moran spoke of a particular issue that arose in Borrisoleigh and of how he felt sorry for the people living in that estate. The council should have an inspector to visit its estates with greater regularity, he proposed.

GARDA INVOLVEMENT

Cathaoirleach, Cllr John Carroll said the gardaí should be engaged where antisocial behaviour is happening, though he appreciated that garda resources are stretched. He regretted that community policing has diminished and said this is partly to blame for the rise in antisocial behaviour.

Director of Services Jonathan Cooney said the council has a policy on antisocial behaviour; criminal matters are the remit of the gardaí. The council follows up on complaints through engagement with the parties involved, followed by a tenancy warning and court process where necessary.

Mr Cooney appreciated that the process can become “protracted” but said the council needs to build a case history where action needs to be taken against a troublesome tenant. He added that the council has been successful in evicting tenants causing antisocial behaviour.

Cllr John Fitzgerald described the council’s policy as “weak” and likened it to being “savaged by a lamb… it’s not getting us anywhere,” he said, agreeing that those at fault are given too many chances and that it takes too long to sufficiently deal with them.

Chief Executive Sinéad Carr described this criticism as “unfair”. Tipperary is one of the few councils in the country that has been successful in securing evictions in the courts where antisocial behaviour is concerned.

While she appreciated that it can take years to evict a tenant, Ms Carr assured the meeting that the council does not accept antisocial behaviour in its estates and will take action where complaints are made. The former Director of Housing Services said people should not be afraid of making complaints to the local authority either because their complaint would be dealt with in strict confidence.

“In my time in Housing, nobody’s name was ever released,” the CEO told the meeting. “That should not be a reason not to come forward.”