Calls for stricter punishments for antisocial behaviour in Louth

Louth County Council have been told it needs to be stricter with antisocial behaviour.

Independent councillor Maeve Yore told the March meeting of the Dundalk Municipal District that there is a "huge problem" with antisocial behaviour in the county.

It comes as Louth County Council are set to introduce a new strategy to tackle antisocial behaviour. 

Cllr Yore called on the local authority to increase the term of warnings on its system. She said the current period of one year is not sufficient and called for it to be increased to 3-5 years.

"Someone can have a shindig on New Years Eve and have it wiped out on New Year's Day," she said. 

The Independent councillor also said Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) seem to have more power and stricter guidelines than the local authority. 

"Can we be more strict and more aligned. AHBs seem to have stricter guidelines and more power than we have as a local authority in dealing with antisocial behaviour."

Cllr Yore also asked if Louth County Council could provide examples what AHBs are doing differently. 

A spokesperson for Louth County Council told it will be part of the process to look at the protocols of AHBs. 

"That would be part of the process, it's good to look at good practice elsewhere whether that’s through Northern Ireland, across the water, wherever. It's good to do that, it's good to look at good practice," she said. 

However, the spokesperson said Louth County Council find it more difficult to evict a tenant than an AHB. 

"Often the problem is when we go through eviction, the person also comes through the revolving door of homelessness with us, AHBs don't have that so it's more challenging."

Cathaoirleach of the Dundalk Municipal District, Cllr Robert Nash welcomed the new strategy and said residents have felt like "there's no one to talk to" since the abolition of Joint Policing Committees in 2024. 

They are have been replaced by Local Community Safety Partnerships. 

A spokesperson for Louth County Council told the meeting that it hopes to have the new initiative in place by October of this year. 

The new initiative is aimed at those who are in any sort of tenancy agreement with the local authority, such as council properties, Part V acquisitions and long term leases. 

The council said the new strategy will give tenants "an opportunity to have a voice".

The new strategy hopes to implement "preventative" measures to curb antisocial behaviour, improve tenant engagement and strengthen data protection.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.