Council urged to act on local derelict houses

Shauna Bowers 

A NORTH Dublin TD is calling on Fingal County Council to take action on five derelict houses in his constituency.

Brendan Ryan (Lab) believes that due to the number of people who are homeless in Dublin, the houses on Palmer Road, Rush, need to be put back into use, especially considering the anti-social behaviour that occurs at the location.

“I am pushing Fingal County Council to progress this matter as quickly as possible,” Deputy Ryan told Northside People.

“With a housing and homelessness crisis, it is devastating to have any vacant house in the State. 

“But when that structure is being abused for anti-social purposes it is compounding that situation.”

There are a lot of empty alcohol cans and bottles, graffiti and rubbish at the abandoned houses.

One resident, who lives nearby and wishes to remain anonymous, said locals feel that the anti-social behaviour is beginning to really prohibit them from living their lives.

“They’re there all night having parties, like a rave and jumping up and down,” she said. “They smashed up the place. After a few drinks they get very aggressive and really loud. They don’t care. The music is always blaring.

“After the weekend there is always smashed glass on bottles on the road from drink. Then during the summer because they don’t have school, they shout out the windows at anybody who walks by. They call them names and use bad language at kids. It can be all day and all night sometimes.

“I have kids myself and I don’t want them to grow up around that sort of behaviour.” 

Locals have set up an anonymous Facebook page called Rush and Lusk Against Crime in an attempt to help each other deal with the situation. 

“We feel helpless,” one resident said. “We can’t do anything because there is a big gang of them.”

This has been a longstanding issue for the community and local residents are demanding that action be taken. 

According to locals, the anti-social behaviour has escalated with some people using drugs. In 2017, some of the young people lit the grass surrounding the area on fire and ransacked a local apartment on Halloween night. 

Fingal County Council said it is aware of the situation and is hoping to bring the properties back into use.

“Three of these properties are currently vested in the Minister of Finance through the Office of Public Works,” a spokesperson for the council said. “Fingal County Council is currently preparing a formal application to acquire the properties via a Deed of Waiver from the Minister for Finance. The two other properties, one vacant and one with foundations in place only, are in private ownership. 

“Fingal County Council are investigating the ownership of these properties at present with a view to bringing the properties back into use.”