In response to replies from Dublin City Council regarding questions on illegal dumping and anti-social behaviour in Dublin North West, I believe that greater cooperation between residents, the City Council and the Gardaí is needed to tackle these ongoing issues.
As a recently elected TD for the area, I am fully aware of the challenges of illegal and anti-social behaviour communities in my constituency are facing. I believe that the nature of these challenges requires a community response as they cannot be addressed simply by the Gardaí or the City Council. Central to this community response are the local residents who must assist the Gardai and the City Council by reporting such behaviour in their area. They must also be willing to engage with and support community programmes such as those run by Safer Ballymun and the Finglas Safety Forum.
Authorities such as the City Council must however, make greater use of the assets at their disposal. Ballymun for instance has a sophisticated CCTV network covering most open spaces, yet according to figures from Dublin City Council, in 2010 13 fines were issued for illegal dumping in the Shangan Green area and of these; only four were paid with no convictions obtained in respect of unpaid fines. CCTV is not a cure all for addressing such behaviour; yet it will only have a deterrent effect if action is taken on foot of what is monitored by the network.
Our straightened public finances require us to do more with what we have in these challenging times. Everybody has a role to play in making our communities safer places to live in and I will be working with all groups across Dublin North West to address these issues over the coming years.
Authorities such as the City Council must however, make greater use of the assets at their disposal. Ballymun for instance has a sophisticated CCTV network covering most open spaces, yet according to figures from Dublin City Council, in 2010 13 fines were issued for illegal dumping in the Shangan Green area and of these; only four were paid with no convictions obtained in respect of unpaid fines. CCTV is not a cure all for addressing such behaviour; yet it will only have a deterrent effect if action is taken on foot of what is monitored by the network.
Our straightened public finances require us to do more with what we have in these challenging times. Everybody has a role to play in making our communities safer places to live in and I will be working with all groups across Dublin North West to address these issues over the coming years.
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| A Well-Balanced Community Model |
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