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‘Neighbours from Hell’ forcing Clare people to move home


PEOPLE have been forced to sell their house and emigrate because of anti-social behaviour carried out by “neighbours from hell”, a local councillor has claimed.

Clare County Council has undertaken 1,731 callouts dealing with anti-social behaviour this year. Many of these call outs were repeat calls where an incident of anti-social behaviour was reported the team would have initially responded to that complaint and would have followed up with repeat calls to help prevent recurrences.

Since his election to Ennis Town Council in 2004, and ETC and Clare County Council in 2009, Councillor Johhny Flynn has expressed concern about the actions of a small but very troublesome minority of local authority tenants that are creating “havoc” for vulnerable neighbours, while vulnerable children in these households are also at risk.

“Since the abolition of Ennis Town Council as a housing authority, I have seen a huge increase in influx of ‘neighbours from hell’ from rural parts of the county that have created havoc, while people outside the county move in and create havoc to peaceful communities.

“I am aware of a number of cases where people worked through Covid-19 at the front line in the health service had to sell their house and emigrate because of intimidation and harassment they received.”

The Fine Gael Councillor expressed concern at a council meeting on Monday about the operation of homeless services within residential areas such as Westbrook on the Gort Road, Ennis, and a proposed change in the operation of Laurel Lodge, Ennis.

Stressing he was referring to about 1% of council tenants who were causing havoc, he pointed out these unruly tenants were keeping their neighbours awake at night who had to get up early for work the following morning.

“I have seen videos of intimidation and harassment that an older woman who has worked all her life had to put up with from adults and children in a house supported by council funding.

“There are serious drug issues in urban areas, and complaints about racist behaviour affecting hard working new Irish people who have been in contact with me over the last 15 years. There is very poor waste management of council and council-supported tenancies in the private sector where there are rats and vermin in the back yard.”

He warned the ban on private and public evictions is leading to an enormous problem trying to deal with bad behaviours that developed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He acknowledged the work of the three tenancy enforcement officers, the council’s estate management office and the director of housing of trying to deal with a small number of “chaotic” people who were causing a lot of distress, particularly to elderly people and long standing tenants.

He urged people experiencing problems should contact tenancy enforcement officers at (87) 416 9496, and or email the complaint to Anti-Social behaviour section of the Housing department at ASB@clarecoco.ie.

Councillor Paul Murphy said a small number of people were causing major problems for people living in communities, and acknowledged drugs is also a big issue.

Director of service, Anne Haugh stated it is generally recognised that as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns and stay-at-home restrictions the number of anti-social behaviour complaints, particularly those associated with noise complaints, did increase significantly.

She said the tenancy enforcement officer team has been very successful and effective in proactively dealing with such complaints.

“Clare County Council has a duty to manage and control dwellings let under the Housing Acts, with a view to securing and protecting the interests of tenants, their families and the community in the peaceful occupation of their homes.

“In accordance with our Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy, adopted by the Council earlier this year, the council is committed to the preservation of the peaceful occupation of all dwellings for which it is responsible and will not tolerate anti-social behaviour (ASB).

“The council will investigate all complaints of ASB in an efficient, fair and impartial manner and will take all appropriate steps, in accordance with best practice as set out in this strategy, to prevent same.

“The council will carry out such investigations and inquiries as it considers necessary to establish whether there is substantive evidence to suggest that the respondent is or has engaged in ASB.”

By Dan Danaher

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