Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh míle maith ag Deputy Gogarty for bringing the motion to the House. It concerns something we all see across this Chamber in emails we constantly get about antisocial behaviour. The people of Dublin Bay North are raising it with me every single week. Just this week, a parent in Raheny wrote to me to tell me about masked teenagers on e-scooters and scramblers and open drug dealing outside a crèche. I am being told by different representatives that nothing can and will be done. The sense of powerlessness this parent had when I called to their house was not acceptable. On another occasion, across the constituency, we saw vigilante gangs of people. I do not blame these young people.

They have nothing else to do. That is the real issue. We are not investing in young people's futures. We want to see prevention officers going out on the streets, talking to these young people and giving them other options. I bring it back to the analogy that is constantly used for homelessness but could also be used for antisocial behaviour. If we constantly see people floating down the river, we take them out eventually. Eventually we go to the top of the river and ask why they are jumping in in the first place. We need to prevent people falling into the river of crime and antisocial behaviour and give them options other than going into drug dealing or robbing houses. I will push the Government to do this.

It always starts with prevention. Too many young people in north Dublin are involved in antisocial behaviour. It is because they have nothing to do after school. They leave school too early - at the age of 16, 17 or even 14. It is horrible to see. I have spoken to young mothers in Artane, Raheny, Clontarf and Coolock who do not know what to do with their children who have left school. Significant developments are taking place in Coolock Development Centre and I congratulate everyone involved in it. Great things are happening in youth work in north Dublin but they are underfunded and understaffed. Sphere 17 in Darndale is really struggling so I ask the Minister of State to give it the funding it deserves. I will bring people from Sphere 17 to the House next week and I look forward to speaking to them.

We spoke about immigration and migration earlier and the significant matter of the Crown Paints site in Coolock. I look at that site now and ask what could be done to it to help the community and target antisocial behaviour. It would be great to see it being used as an extension of the Coolock Development Centre to give young people who have left school early the option to get into the trades. Some people are not designed for school and that is very evident. We should give them the option of getting into the trades, entering apprenticeships and setting up their own businesses to keep them away from trouble.

Scramblers and e-bikes are another issue. I was driving two nights ago when a young lad came down a one-way street towards me on an e-scooter who was easily going 50 km/h or 60 km/h. It was dark and rainy. These children are not just putting other people at risk; they are also putting themselves at risk. I would be very upset if I heard another story like the one I heard when I knocked on a door last week. I was talking to an elderly lady who asked me to target these scooters and e-bikes. I asked her what sparked this issue and she told me a horrifying story of a young man who lost his life coming through Fairview Park four or five years ago. This cannot be ignored. It is something we need to target. From speaking to police, I know there is legislation in place but police are struggling to enforce it so we need to support gardaí.

Communities will also play a role. Investment in local community groups across Dublin Bay North needs to be fair. Sanctions need to be there. The northside has been neglected for too long. It is something I have spoken about constantly in this Chamber. Members have heard me time and time again.

I will sum it up as prevention where we can and firm actions when we must. We need a future that gives young Irish people a real alternative. I hope Deputy Brabazon will support me in looking for more investment in the northside. I see him nodding to me. It is something I have heard him talk about with e-scooters and antisocial behaviour - information coming to both our email addresses.

The budget is coming. We need more funding for youth diversion projects, funding for technical and trade education on the northside and proper resourcing for community policing. The parents emailing are right to expect better. Our communities deserve better.

See this speech in context