Tenants at a sheltered housing scheme where a man died after a break-in on Wednesday afternoon criticised Dublin Corporation yesterday for withdrawing its resident warden service. They said crime and vandalism at St Bricin's Park, Arbour Hill, had worsened since the warden service was withdrawn 18 months ago.
Dublin Corporation defended the move, saying it would have made no difference had a warden been living on the scheme.
Mr Patrick Larkin, in his 60s, died, apparently of a heart attack, following the break-in at his home. Residents yesterday complained of vandalism, burglary and theft at the scheme. Much of the vandalism originates in a corporation housing estate, which is separated from the scheme by a 10 ft wall, they alleged.
One resident said the corporation had refused to raise the wall. He pointed to a young man moving to and fro along the top of the wall to no apparent purpose.
Residents complained of frequent stone-throwing from the estate. One man said he had been burgled last year by three youths who hit him and told him to be quiet while they ransacked his home. Another said a neighbour had been burgled by a number of men who pinned her to the floor with a wardrobe while they searched for her money. Other neighbours had been robbed by men posing as window cleaners.
One man pointed to the corner near where Mr Larkin died and said prostitutes brought clients there from nearby Parkgate Street. Another man picked a condom wrapping off the ground. "They've been here again," he said.
The five residents who spoke to The Irish Times were adamant that the situation had worsened since the warden was withdrawn.
The Dublin Corporation spokesman, Mr Gerard Egan, said it was corporation policy to replace resident wardens with community wardens - who each service a number of schemes - and with an alarm system linked to a central monitoring unit.
The absence of a resident warden "has no bearing on what happened", he said. "The neighbours reacted immediately when they heard a commotion." The gardai at the Bridewell had been contacted within two minutes, he said.
Mr Egan confirmed that there are some older schemes around the city which have neither a warden nor an alarm system. The corporation is surveying these with a view to connecting them to the alarm system.
Mr Billy Keegan of St Helena's senior citizens' committee in Finglas, which has been campaigning for some years for an improved service, said Dublin Corporation should take immediate steps to improve the warden service so that every old person in sheltered accommodation was checked on every day. Deputy Sean Ryan and Senator Joe Costello of the Labour Party called on the Government to provide local authorities with funding for a full-time warden service.
Gardai have intensified their investigations after a serious assault on a Co Clare farmer on Holy Thursday night led to his death in Limerick Regional Hospital on Wednesday.
Gardai from four counties are investigating the incidents in which Mr Paud Skehan (68), single, of Ardnataggle, Bridgetown, Co Clare, received serious head and chest injuries before being tied to the stairs. A post-mortem examination was carried out yesterday by the Assistant State Pathologist. A family member said they were devastated at what happened.
A niece of the victim, Ms Teresa Sorley of O'Brien's Bridge said: "He was a decent, hardworking man who minded his own business and took care of his stock and farm".
Anyone with information should contact the gardai at Killaloe 061 376242