David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I wish to share my time with Senator Cummins. I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House. This motion relates to a long-standing problem at Templars Hall housing estate in Waterford. The Minister of State may be aware from media coverage nationally and locally that residents of Templars Hall housing estate, Waterford have been experiencing problems in their estate over the past seven or eight years.

By way of background, there are 311 houses in the estate, only 40 of which are lived in by home owners, with the vast majority being rented, in particular by students. There have been major problems with students living in this estate. While, to be fair, the Garda Síochána and students union have done their best to deal with anti-social behaviour problems in the estate, the problem has, for some unknown reason, gotten worse. Often, more than 60 students congregate at parties in houses following which there is shouting, drinking on the streets, urination on people's cars and properties, throwing of rubbish and empty bottles in residents houses.

I wish to read into the record the following, which was said by a resident of the estate, a teacher who has been living with her boyfriend in a rented property in the estate for the past four years:

The amount of students here the other night was unreal. I can't sleep and in my job I have to be on top of my game. People say why don't you move out but why should we, we have made this house our home?

A second resident spoke of people screaming, shouting, singing, urinating against walls and smashing bottles. This problem usually starts between 11 p.m. and 12.30 a.m., eases when the students are in the bars and clubs and kicks off again from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. Not all the students living in the estate are involved in anti-social behaviour. However, there is a major problem in this estate.

I received a handwritten letter from a resident who asked me to pose a number of questions to the Minister of State. In the letter, the woman speaks of the physical and mental health problems being experienced by many residents because of this constant anti-social behaviour in their estate by students. Children who have to attend school cannot sleep at night because of the disturbances. There is no safety for residents. They are now being assisted by a number of councillors from all parties in patrolling the estate, which they have been forced to do by the level of anti-social behaviour. They have received support from councillors, the Garda and the students union. Responsibility lies with the students engaging in anti-social behaviour.

The residents have asked me to put a number of issues to the Minister of State and the Minister for Justice and Equality. First, the Garda points out that it does not have the power to deal with house parties and large congregations of people who are drinking and playing loud music. It can deal with public order offences, but not loud music. Second, the Garda can only work within its budget and resources. The residents in this estate feel as if they are under siege and trapped on those nights when ani-social behaviour occurs. They feel that the State and the Garda are not supporting them. This is not because the Garda does not want to support them, but because it does not have the resources and only possesses limited powers.

I appeal to the Minister of State to examine the media coverage of what is occurring in the estate. He should contact the local gardaí, find out what is going on and determine whether more could be done to support the residents. They are trying to live in peace on their housing estate but this is not possible because of the anti-social behaviour of a small minority of students who seem to believe that they can do what they like and cause major disruption in the lives of the estate's residents, including children.