'Estates that are no go areas' - Calls for 'consequences' for misbehaving tenants

Councillors across the board have expressed deep concern and frustration following numerous correspondence from members of the public of anti-social behaviour in unnamed housing estates within the municipal district (MD).

There was unanimous agreement that tenants who flout the rules who behave inappropriately should face ‘consequences’ with councillors keen to discuss the matter in detail with a representative of the council’s housing department at their next monthly meeting.

Cathaoirleach of the Castlecomer MD, Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick requested the council give a breakdown of how ‘engagement’ is being conducted with those not obeying the rules.

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"Each councillor is getting communications about anti-social behaviour and not alone our (council) tenants but maybe tenants who are living next door to people (who owned their properties) who are not maintaining their properties," he said.

Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh called for 'consequences' if tenants do not fulfill their tenancy agreement.

"Good tenants can not understand how the not good tenants behave in an abhorrent way at times, breaking every rule in the book and getting away with it.

"There are housing estates that are no go areas,” she continued.

Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Michael Delaney stressed the importance of the ‘type of people’ allowed enter an area/housing scheme, commenting, “we have seen before cases of inappropriate houses to inappropriate people. To avoid anti-social behaviour going forward that should be looked at and the type of calibre of people that’s coming into communities.

"Prevention is better than cure. There’s no point talking about this when people are already in it (the house)," Cllr Delaney continued.

"There’s a place for everyone but I think it should be looked at that people fit into a community before a house is allocated."

Cllr Maurice Shortall expressed similar views, stating: “A lot of people want to know what are the consequences of constant anti-social behaviour because there is a lot of people out there that would love to have a home but there’s a small minority of people who are giving certain areas a bad name,” he claimed.

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