Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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168. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government cathain a bheidh reachtaíocht ann a chuideoidh i gceart le comhairlí áitiúla deileáil lena dtionóntaithe atá ag gabháil d’iompar frithshóisialta agus, más gá, díshealbhú a dhéanamh orthu; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [17739/26]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Admhaíonn an Rialtas an cheist leanúnach a bhaineann le hiompar frithshóisialta agus an drochthionchar atá aige ar cháilíocht beatha na ndaoine a mbíonn tionchar aige orthu. Tá sé mar phríomhthosaíocht ag an Rialtas pobail shábháilte agus shlána a thógáil ar fud na tíre. Tá freagracht fhoriomlán ar mo chomhghleacaí, an tAire Dlí agus Cirt, as beartas agus reachtaíocht a bhaineann le heachtraí tromchúiseacha d’iompar frithshóisialta tríd an gcód coiriúil a fhorfheidhmíonn an Garda Síochána.

Tá ról lárnach le himirt ag mo Roinn sa mhéid sin freisin trí chreat reachtaíochta a chur ar fáil a thugann réimse uirlisí do thiarnaí talún tithíochta sóisialta chun dul i ngleic le hiompar frithshóisialta atá á dhéanamh ag a dtionóntaí. Tá údaráis áitiúla freagrach faoi Achtanna na dTithe as a stoc tithíochta a bhainistiú agus a chothabháil agus a n-eastáit a bhainistiú, lena n-áirítear bearta iomchuí a dhéanamh chun dul i ngleic le hiompar frithshóisialta. Forálann Acht na dTithe (Forálacha Ilghnéitheacha), 1997, d’orduithe cúirte a eisiúint chun ball den teaghlach atá ag gabháil d’iompar frithshóisialta a eisiamh ón áit chónaithe agus, más iomchuí, ón eastát atá i gceist. Tugann Acht 1997 cumhacht freisin d’údarás tithíochta diúltú áit chónaithe a leithdháileadh nó a dhíol le duine atá ag gabháil d’iompar frithshóisialta.

Cuireadh feabhas suntasach freisin ar chumhachtaí na n-údarás áitiúil sa réimse seo le Cuid 2 d’Acht na dTithe (Forálacha Ilghnéitheacha), 2014, a dhéanann foráil maidir le rabhadh tionóntachta a eisiúint lena gceanglaítear ar thionóntaí scor d’aon ghníomhaíocht fhrithshóisialta. Tugann Cuid 2 d’Acht 2014 an chumhacht freisin d’údaráis áitiúla seilbh a n-áit chónaithe a aisghabháil ó theaghlaigh a sháraíonn a gcomhaontuithe tionóntachta go tromchúiseach, lena n-áirítear dul i mbun iompair fhrithshóisialta.

To ask the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when legislation will be place to properly assist local councils in dealing with tenants who are engaging in anti-social behaviour and, if necessary, evict them; and will he make a statement on the matter.

The Government acknowledges the persistent issue of anti-social behaviour and the detrimental effect that it has on the quality of life of those affected by it. Building safe and secure communities across the country is a top priority of Government. My colleague the Minister for Justice has overall responsibility for policy and legislation relating to serious incidents of anti-social behaviour through the criminal code which is enforced by An Garda Síochána.

My Department also has a key role to play in this by providing a framework of legislation giving social housing landlords a range of tools to tackle anti-social behaviour being perpetrated by their tenants. Local authorities are responsible under the Housing Acts for the management and maintenance of their housing stock and the management of their estates, including taking appropriate measures to counter anti-social behaviour. The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 Act provides for the issuing of court orders to exclude a household member engaged in anti-social behaviour from the dwelling and, if appropriate, the estate in question. The 1997 Act also empowers a housing authority to refuse to allocate or sell a dwelling to a person engaged in anti-social behaviour.

The powers of local authorities in this area were also significantly enhanced by Part 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, which provides for the issuing of a tenancy warning requiring that tenants cease any anti-social activity. Part 2 of the 2014 Act also gives local authorities the power to recover possession of their dwellings from households in serious breach of their tenancy agreements, including engaging in anti-social behaviour.