‘This is only the latest in a long line of issues’
By Aideen O'Flaherty
AN POST’S recent decision to suspend postal services in the Mac Uilliam Estate in Tallaght “is only the latest in a long line of issues” in the area, according to a local resident.
On Friday, An Post released a statement where they said they had been “forced to suspend mail services to the Mac Uilliam Estate in Tallaght following a number of incidents involving threats to the safety and security of staff”.
MacUilliam estate have had postal services suspended
Mac Uilliam residents now have to pick up their post at An Post’s Dublin 24 Delivery Service Unit in The Square.
However, a Mac Uilliam resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Echo that An Post’s decision to pull delivery services in the area is the culmination of years of anti-social behaviour in the estate that has not been tackled.
He said: “Kids are coming up kicking people’s doors, or kicking your car. I caught a man relieving himself on my partner’s car and when I asked him to stop he leaned over my front gate and started threatening me.
“There’s drug dealing, graffiti, properties being damaged.
“If we want to go out for the night we can’t get a taxi because they won’t come into the estate.
“We can’t get food delivered by Tesco or takeaways – they won’t come here because they keep getting attacked and robbed.”
The resident also said himself and his partner have long-standing health issues and are travelling down to The Square every day to collect their post as they regularly get hospital appointments through the mail.
“I felt sick to my stomach when I found out An Post weren’t delivering here anymore,” he said. “This is only the latest in a long line of issues here.
“We’re having to drive up and down [to collect our post] every day, but luckily enough we have a car – there’s plenty of people in the estate who don’t.”
A Garda spokesperson said: “Gardai in Tallaght are aware of ongoing issues in the Mac Uilliam Estate including two incidents where employees of An Post were targeted.
“Community Policing in the area has been augmented with additional staff and patrols in the area have increased.”
South Dublin County Council were contacted for comment, but a response wasn’t received in time for print.
