Anti-social behaviour requires an honest societal discussion – Farrell

A national discussion on anti-social behaviour across society is urgently needed, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Alan Farrell was speaking following engagement with Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and her Department on the issue.

Deputy Farrell said, “There is a fear in our towns and cities that anti-social behaviour is becoming commonplace, and these concerns are reinforced by videos and photos depicting such incidents regularly appearing on our social media feeds.

“Just in recent days, we saw footage showing anti-social behaviour at Dublin Airport. This sort of behaviour is unacceptable, and we must stamp it out in our culture and our society. Whether it happens in our public spaces, our airports or on a quiet street, it contributes to the undermining of public confidence and safety, it hurts our tourism sector and it damages the quality of life in our towns and cities.

“Despite the problems we face, I am encouraged that this matter is being treated as a priority by Minister McEntee and the Gardaí. Fine Gael is committed to building stronger, safer communities and we are seeing unprecedented levels of investment and increases in Garda numbers and infrastructure.

“Earlier this month, a new Garda station was opened at Dublin Airport. The station has 48 Garda members and also provides a new base for the Garda Armed Support Unit and will support the community and its surrounds.

“There are also a number of Garda operations currently underway to tackle anti-social behaviour and ongoing recruitment will see 800 new Gardai and 400 civilian staff added to the force in 2022.

“But we must be honest about the problem. The Gardaí cannot solve this by themselves, nor can the Government. We must, as a society, address the root causes of anti-social behaviour and tackle the culture of these behaviours in our country.

“Last summer we saw scenes in Dublin Fingal and elsewhere that we do not wish to see again this year. However, we must also note that while this issue is often categorised as a young person’s issue, the evidence we see is that anti-social behaviour is taking place across all age groups and settings.

“We need stronger sentencing for repeat offenders and we must send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated and it will not go unpunished.”

Deputy Farrell concluded, “We need an honest discussion on this matter, and I will continue my work to engage with constituents and the Government to provide solutions.”