A Cork TD who has called for a 9pm curfew to be imposed on under-16s gathering in urban areas plans to travel to Britain to meet officials who have implemented a similar scheme with a reported 40 per cent reduction in crime rates.
Fianna Fáil deputy Billy Kelleher will shortly visit the head of the anti-social behaviour unit in Leicester City Council for his assessment on the success of the curfew plan there.
"We have a real problem with anti-social behaviour in cities around the country and we need to take decisive steps to enforce a juvenile justice system that produces results.
"For too long we have allowed young yob gangs to terrorise inner-city communities. These youths have robbed residents of their freedom to leave their own homes by loitering menacingly around housing estates," he added.
Mr Kelleher said "madcap" interest groups opposing the introduction of anti-social behaviour orders should wake up to the social damage wrought by gangs terrorising many inner-city communities. Last week the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the Local Drug Task Forces strongly criticised the proposed orders, saying they could increase conflict between gardaí and communities.
The orders would allow local authorities or gardaí to summon offenders to courts on a civil rather than criminal basis.
Other opponents to the orders include the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Children's Rights Alliance and the National Youth Council of Ireland.
Meanwhile, the Cork North Central TD said groups in the self-styled coalition against anti-social behaviour orders needed to "get real" about the extent and gravity of anti-social behaviour in this country.