Laws to crack down on anti-social behaviour in estates

HOUSING Minister Noel Ahern will bring in new laws to crack down on people who are plaguing local authority estates with criminal and intimidating behaviour.

Up to now, local authorities only had the power to seek exclusion orders against tenants who were guilty of anti-social behaviour.

But they could not obtain exclusion orders against the tenant’s children or adult children who were guilty of anti-social behaviour and terrorising neighbours. The local authority also had no powers to seek exclusion orders against tenants buying out their houses.