Communal bin area and car set alight as concerns rise over anti-social behaviour

CONCERNS have been raised regarding the increase in anti-social behaviour in North Clondalkin following a fire in the Milford Manor area.

On Monday, October 5, firefighters and paramedics from Tallaght Fire Station attended the scene of a fire in an outdoor area in Clondalkin shortly after 7 pm.

The fire was extinguished shortly after they arrived at the scene. The assistance of Gardaí was requested before Dublin Fire Brigade left just before 8 pm.

The Echo understands that the fire was contained in a communal bin area before a car caught alight.

Councillor Daniel Loftus expressed the frustration that exists among residents as incidents of anti-social behaviour continue in the area and the lack of resources to combat it.

“The community police department, Ronanstown Garda Station, only has six guards at their disposal; it’s meant to have 12, and some of those six have been pulled for the EU presidency, so they have even less than what they should.

“There is a lot of antisocial behaviour and a lot of high-level problems that just aren’t being addressed because the guards don’t have the resources to action them.”

Although there is a spike in incidents involving fireworks and bonfires in the weeks leading up to Halloween, Cllr Loftus explained that it has, in recent years, become a year-round issue.

In order to combat these problems, greater funding is needed to ensure there is an appropriate number of Gardaí patrolling the area at all times, which has been proven to quell criminal and antisocial activity.

Cllr Loftus also pointed to the need for community funding to provide youth intervention and community engagement programmes to pre-empt antisocial behaviour.

“We need more guards on the street to engage with the community because they can’t be everywhere at once. We need programmes that existed back in the Celtic Tiger that were done away with in the recession and still haven’t returned over 15 years later.”

“There’s a range of solutions that need to be put in place, and we’ve been calling for this for years, and the government just aren’t listening.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme