Vandalism incidents in Ballina and Newport highlighted
A MOVE is in the pipeline to make the top lakeside amenity in Ballina into a no-alcohol zone due to a spate of antisocial behaviour that has resulted in the destruction of facilities funded by taxpayers to attract visitors and tourists to the scenic locality.
“There's no point in sugar coating it,” declared local Fine Gael councillor Phyll Bugler, as she set out the damage caused to amenities in the Riverside Park in the town when addressing the January meeting of the Nenagh Municipal District authority.
Cllr Bugler said damage to the “beautiful” new shower and public toilet facilities funded by the council on the site had resulted in a repair bill of €20,000. The antisocial behaviour included toilets being pulled off their wall mountings. “This is totally unacceptable and it's costing the council a fortune,” she said.
Apologising to other councillors over the the fact that she was speaking in a raised voice because of the vandalism, the visibly enraged Cllr Bugler added: “I am really, really annoyed that this is happening and that I have to come in here and propose byelaws to stop drinking in the Riverside Park.”
She said the damage to the shower and toilet block on the site was “an absolute scandal”.
Addressing the unidentified culprits, she said: “Whoever you are you better stop doing this. You are no credit to me and you are no credit to the town.”
Cllr Bugler said “so much” funding from taxpayers had been invested in enhancing Ballina as a visitor and tourist attraction.
“And then you have a few people who think they can run wild and carry out these type of things. Whoever is involved in this I am asking you to stop because the damage you are doing is at great cost to the taxpayer.”
Cllr John Carroll said it was regrettable that some people had no respect for the great work being done by the council to enhance amenities in Ballina.
NEW BYELAW
Earlier in the meeting the District Administrator Rosemary Joyce said byelaws had been introduced in a number of amenity areas in recent years. However, the byelaws were being revisited by the council, which now wanted to make the Riverside Park a no-alcohol zone because of criminal damage to the shower and toilet block.
Ms Joyce said the council was recommending the move after talks with An Garda Síochána who had asked that a prohibition by put on alcohol consumption in the park.
Ms Joyce said damage caused had resulted in major costs.
A total of 16 windows had been smashed in the block and paving slabs uprooted and thrown in the river. There were also costs involved in cleaning up the “mess” left in the toilets.
She said the vandalism had now resulted in moves by the council to erect a CCTV system in the park to protect its property.
Just like what was in force for years on the streets of Nenagh, the council was now seeking to introduce a byelaw to prohibit alcohol consumption in the site at Ballina. The proposal by the council was going to be put out for public consultation.
PROBLEMS IN NEWPORT
Cllr Fiona Bonfield referred to similar problems in Newport, saying the toilets in the new town park had been vandalised. She said alcohol consumption was not the root of the problem there. It had more to do with schools closing at 1.30pm on Fridays and teenagers hanging around having nothing to do.
Cllr John ‘Rocky’ McGrath said some parents in Newport did not have a clue where their children were going after school. It was up to parents and guardians to keep tighter controls on their offspring.