Antisocial behaviour the big threat to Ballymun, says Minister

Antisocial behaviour is the biggest threat to the further regeneration of Ballymun, the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and drugs, Noel Ahern, has said.

Mr Ahern was speaking at the launch of a three-year initiative to tackle crime, antisocial behaviour and drug abuse in the Dublin suburb.

The Ballymun Community Safety Strategy sets targets such as 24-hour Garda-monitored CCTV, an increase in seizures of illegal drugs by 5 per cent, a 10 per cent rise in community police numbers, a reduction in burglary, car theft, and firearms offences by 2 per cent, and zero tolerance of graffiti.

"This strategy will tackle the greatest problem Ballymun faces and the greatest threat to its building programme, that of antisocial behaviour," Mr Ahern said.

The rebuilding of Ballymun was more than half completed, and further demolition of tower blocks was planned for the coming weeks. However, Mr Ahern said the continuation of the programme was reliant on community security.

"The development of Ballymun, without the development of a safe environment, well, I won't say the building work would be pointless, but it would be questionable . . . Basically, the issues of crime and antisocial behaviour and messing will have to be reduced."

The strategy will involve continuous input from the community, Dublin City Council, Ballymun Regeneration Ltd (BRL) and the Garda, and will be subject to performance targets at intervals over the three years.

Ballymun does not have a huge problem with headline crime, Assistant Garda Commissioner Al McHugh said, but antisocial behaviour and public order offences could have a huge bearing on how the area developed.

"Antisocial behaviour is a difficulty but it is not unique to Ballymun, and things have improved in recent years. But what has occurred in the past cannot be allowed to continue in the future or the whole regeneration will have been a complete waste of time."

The strategy would be constantly monitored, and its targets would be completed within three years, said Ciarán Murray, managing director of BRL.

"This is a structured framework put in place to ensure direct and swift problem-solving. We're not just building buildings here, we're building a sustainable community. A place people will want to stay, not leave at the earliest opportunity."

Assistant city manager with Dublin City Council Brendan Kenny said the council was committed to co-operating with BRL, the Garda and the community to ensure the success of the regeneration scheme.