Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The report from the Central Statistics Office makes grim reading, as I am sure the Minister will agree. Deputy Flanagan has asked a question about gun murders so I wish to ask about anti-social behaviour. I will instance my question by telling the House about a man who visited my clinic last Saturday. He is a single man and a night worker. Local youths know his pattern of work. They break into his property frequently; they urinate through the letter-box; they damage his property; and they send for takeaways in order to have people call to the door to test if he is in. He is forced to stay at home on occasion to defend his property when the windows are broken. He is now threatened by his employer who cannot continue to tolerate this man's absence from his duties as a night worker. Yet, the housing authority will not respond and neither will the Garda Síochána. What is that man supposed to do? I ask the Minister to instance in simple language three things he will do differently from his predecessor in this area of anti-social behaviour.

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