Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, to the House.

David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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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.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Cullinane for allowing me time to comment on this serious issue with the Templar's Hall housing estate in Waterford city's ward 3, an area that I represented for many years. My son, who is a councillor in the area, patrolled it with the students union last year. I compliment the union's members on trying their best to control louts. If their parents knew, they would not allow their children get up to such activities. The conduct of these louts is deplorable. The estate is home to a small number of permanent residents. What they have been forced to put up with for several years is unacceptable. What these so-called students have been up to is indescribable.

I compliment Senator Cullinane on raising this matter. I hope that all necessary resources will be provided to combat this blackguarding and to give some peace to the estate's excellent residents.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senators for raising this matter on the Adjournment. I am speaking on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, who regrets that he is unable to be present due to other business. He shares the Senators' concern about incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Templar's Hall area in Waterford and is conscious of how distressing such incidents are for the local community.

The programme for Government includes a commitment to attach a higher priority to community policing and, within available resources, a higher Garda visibility in the local neighbourhoods worst affected. The Garda Síochána operates a model of community policing that builds upon and enhances good community policing practice. Clear objectives are set, such as high visibility in the community, ease of contact by members of the public and enhanced support for crime prevention strategies such as neighbourhood watch and community alert.

In its policing plan for 2011, the Garda has prioritised actions to achieve the maximum levels of safety for local communities and to provide a community policing service that meets the demands of the public. The plan identifies a range of strategies to be deployed to counter anti-social activities, including targeted operations, high-visibility patrols, deployment of appropriate resources to identified public order hotspots in respect of alcohol and drug-related behaviour and youth crime, and the full utilisation of existing legislation.

The Minister has been informed by the Garda authorities that local Garda management in Waterford is aware of difficulties being experienced by residents relating to public disorder and other anti-social behaviour in the Templar's Hall area. In terms of a front-line policing response, additional resources from within the Waterford Garda district have been deployed in the locality by local Garda management to conduct additional patrols in this area and its environs on days and at times identified as being when such behaviour is more likely to occur. The area continues to receive a high level of priority.

Records indicate that in 2011 to date, there have been 126 public disorder-type incidents reported to the Garda in the area. These have resulted in approximately 21 persons being arrested for offences relating to public disorder, assault, drink driving, possession of drugs for sale or supply and theft-related crimes.

Members of the local community policing unit, working with local residents, the Waterford Institute of Technology authorities and the students union, have developed an action and response plan to combat such behaviour. This approach has resulted in a reduction in anti-social behaviour in the area, as acknowledged by the local residents association. Local Garda management, through the community policing unit, continues to work with all stakeholders in the area to address issues that arise and to respond to complaints by local residents. The Garda advises that anti-social behaviour in the area is not confined to any particular grouping.

Local Garda management held a productive meeting with local residents on 6 October to discuss their continuing issues of concern. The Garda in Waterford is committed to continuing to work closely with the residents association and the local community. The community policing unit remains in ongoing contact with the residents association, the college authorities and the students union. Local Garda management monitors operational strategies on an ongoing basis in conjunction with trends in crime and anti-social behaviour and the policing needs of communities to ensure optimum use is made of Garda resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the public. I assure the House that the Minister and the Garda authorities will continue to attach the highest priority to tackling anti-social behaviour wherever it occurs.

David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Leader and the Minister of State for their contributions. A number of members of the residents association are in the Visitors Gallery and will be grateful for the Minister of State's comments.

The figures speak for themselves. That 126 public disorder-type incidents have been reported to the Garda shows the extent of the problem. Will the Minister of State revert to the Minister on the matter of constant house parties on the estate? On a weekly basis, large gatherings of 60 or more people play loud, banging music and drink on the streets. The law needs to change to enable the Garda to be able to better police communities. The Minister needs to examine the gap in the legislation. While gardaí visit the estates and co-operate with residents, the latter often find that the gardaí do not get out of their cars and what are termed "paddy wagons" and do not confront people. Perhaps this is because they do not have the necessary powers or resources.

I commend all of the people who are trying their best to address the problem. Where there are constant house parties, we cannot hide behind the claim that the same occurs everywhere. It does not occur everywhere three or four days per week for six or seven months of the year, so it should not be allowed to go on in the housing estate in question. The Garda should be allocated increased resources and powers to address these serious issues.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I will take the Senator's concerns directly to the Minister. If the legislation contains weaknesses, we will consider how to strengthen it.

Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State and I welcome the visitors from Waterford.