Authorities alerted to 2,600 reports of antisocial behaviour last year

At least 2,600 complaints linked to antisocial behaviour were made to some of the larger urban local authorities last year, figures reveal.

South Dublin County Council led the way with an staggering 1,317 complaints received last year, almost 400 more than in 2011.

Dublin City Council interviewed 672 tenants last year while Galway City Council dealt with 236 complaints.

Despite the huge number of complaints, relatively few lead to councils removing the alleged perpetrators.

The figures, provided by the four Dublin local authorities as well as Cork City Council, Limerick City Council and Galway City Council, show: nDublin City Council interviewed 672 tenants last year and brought seven to court leading to one eviction;

* Fingal interviewed 156 people and recovered seven properties, and also issued 12 excluding orders;

* Dun Laoghaire Rathdown investigated 105 cases of antisocial behaviour last year and have three cases before the courts, one for an eviction and two for excluding orders;

* Galway City dealt with 136 cases last year — fewer than in 2011 — and 19 people asked for a transfer due to antisocial behaviour by neighbours;

* 20 high level cases were referred to the housing section of Cork City Council, resulting in five notices to quit;

* Limerick City Council opened 192 new cases, conducted 271 interviews and issued 55 warnings, as well as issuing two quit notices and four possession orders. Five tenancies were voluntarily surrendered and two evictions were carried out;

* South Dublin County Council (SDCC) received 1,317 complaints last year, up from 971 in 2011 and began eviction proceedings against five tenants.

In the SDCC area, the local authority said 5,843 actions were taken regarding antisocial behaviour in the course of 2012 and that 19 abandonment notices were served with 11 other properties surrendered due to antisocial behaviour by other family members.

However, while 83 tenants applied for a transfer due to neighbours’ antisocial behaviour in SDCC’s area in 2011, last year that figure fell to 27.

Local authorities often classify antisocial behaviour cases differently when compiling statistics.

For example, Fingal said in addition to its headline figures its officers conducted more informal but extensive daily contacts with tenants in respect of lower level antisocial behaviour.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council said it did not believe transfers solved the problem of anti- social behaviour and said “only requests where there is a serious threat to life or a threat of serious damage to property are considered and such applications must be supported by An Garda Siochána”.

Limerick City Council said “all applications for transfer are considered in accordance with the terms of the Allocation Scheme, on a case by case basis”.

Cork City Council’s figure of 20 cases reflects only the most serious ones dealt with by the local authority. Jim Beecher, tenancy enforcement officer with the Council’s housing section said that drugs for production or sale are factors in a number of complaints.

“The major cause of difficulties for tenants on our estates would be intimidation and threats and noise,” he said.

“Very often that very behaviour is associated with the families that we know are linked to criminal behaviour including drugs.”

However, he said levels of antisocial behaviour was not getting worse but has been “standard for a number of years”, the main difference being that councils have less powers to repossess its properties following a challenge to aspects of the 1966 Housing Act due to human rights issues.

“What we are forced to rely on is we are forced to produce direct evidence in court and that can primarily be from neighbours — then you have the fear factor and reprisal factors,” he said.

Mr Beecher added that information passed to the council was held in confidence, but once cases reached court such as notice to quit orders, confidentiality could not be retained.