Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

Yesterday the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government was addressed by the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland, the Local Authorities Members' Association and the Association of County and City Councils in respect of the Green Paper on local government reform. I very much welcome the Minister's policy of having briefing sessions around the country.

The Leader has indicated that he is prepared to take a debate on this matter, which I assume will happen after the recess. I welcome that because time is needed. I watched a programme recently that dealt with teenage gangs in another country. They were not using baseball bats or hurley sticks; they had guns. While I am not saying that this is the case in this country yet, we are getting there.

In tandem with that report, I ask that the management of estates be put centre stage. People have been forced to leave their houses on the advice of the local authority and the Garda. The culprits were not asked to leave but the decent people who could not live their lives in peace were asked to leave for their own safety. It is a damning situation that must be addressed. In the context of this debate, I ask the Leader to put the management and the performance and behaviour of tenants top of the agenda. If people misbehave and make life difficult for others, there is only one way they will go, which is out without a return ticket. It is as simple as that.