Clare County Council is reporting a “significant” increase in the number of complaints it has received about anti-social behaviour by its social housing housing tenants.
In response, a new unit is to be established within the Council to ward off issues.
In all of last year, Clare County Council received 139 complaints of anti-social behaviour by its tenants.
So far this year, it has already received 220.
On top of this, a host of local Councillors have said this week that they have been inundated with calls about problems in their areas.
This prompted a call on the local authority to provide increased funding for its Housing Department, action which the Council accepts is needed.
CEO Pat Dowling has linked the increase in complaints with more people being home during the COVID pandemic, and says plans are now afoot for a new ‘unit’ to address this matter.
He says there needs to be stronger relationships with Gardaí, and he hopes that greater community engagement will ease tensions before problems escalate.
Describing this as a ‘new piece’ of work, and admitting it will take time to deliver results, he also told this week’s Council meeting that action will be taken on this matter within weeks.
