COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 14, 2024

QUESTION NO. 23

QUESTION: Councillor N. Fennell

To ask the Chief Executive to what extent does the council intervene when it comes to anti-social behaviour and when does it become a matter of An Garda Siochana.

REPLY:

The Council's Anti- Social Strategy applies to local authority tenants. Anti-social behaviour is defined in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 as the following:

(a) The manufacture, production, preparation, importation, exportation, sale, supply, possession for the purposes of sale or supply, or distribution of a controlled drug (within the meaning of the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 to 2007)

(b) Any behaviour which causes or is likely to cause any significant or persistent danger, injury, damage, alarm, loss or fear to any person living, working or otherwise lawfully in or in the vicinity of a house provided by a housing authority under the Housing Acts 1966 to 2014 or Part V (as amended) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 or a housing estate in which the house is situate and, without prejudice to the foregoing, includes—

(i) Violence, threats, intimidation, coercion, harassment or serious obstruction of any person

(ii) Behaviour which causes any significant or persistent impairment of a person’s use or enjoyment of his or her home, or

(iii) Damage to or defacement by writing or other marks of any property, including a person’s home

While particular incidents can fall within both anti-social and criminal classifications it is important to state that the local authority’s role is to pursue incidents through the anti-social provisions of the Housing Acts using the civil law and An Garda Síochána‘s role is to pursue incidents through criminal justice mechanisms.