Anti-social behaviour and commercial rates
Senator Murnane O'Connor tried to raise anti-social behaviour and then commercial rates revaluation in Carlow, but the Chair repeatedly ruled she could not bring forward two matters and was out of time or order. She protested the rulings, but no substantive discussion was allowed to continue.
I would like to raise two issues, one of which has already been raised by Senator Colm Burke, namely, anti-social behaviour. In the last few years, there has been a lot of anti-social behaviour that has not been addressed through local authorities. The reason it has not been addressed by local authorities is because there is no mechanism available to families to have it addressed. When a person raises the issue of anti-social behaviour on the part of a neighbour with a local authority, he or she is asked to either keep a record of what is happening or to lodge an official complaint against the neighbour. Families are afraid to do that. They will not do it because they are afraid of their neighbours, which is the reason they take up the matter with the local authority.
The same applies when a person raises this issue with the Garda Síochána, namely, the person is told to either keep a record of what is happening or to lodge an official complaint. The Minister needs to step in and to introduce legislation to protect people who are being victimised by anti-social behaviour. Currently, the only basis on which a tenant can be evicted from a local authority is for non-payment of rent. We need the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to come to this House to address this issue.
I would also like to raise the issue of revaluation of commercial rates across the country.
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Other speakers have raised two issues.
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Everybody who has spoken thus far has raised two issues.
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I never get the opportunity to raise two issues.
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On the first issue, I agreed with Senator Burke. The issue I want to raise is the revaluation of commercial rates.
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There was a letter issued about this last week. The Senator knows that she is out of order.
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This happens to me all of the time. There has been a revaluation of commercial rates in Carlow in the last few months. Commercial rates-----
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-----have been addressed. What I am asking-----
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This is the fourth or fifth time the Leas-Chathaoirleach has done this to me.
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I have just agreed with other speakers and I now want to raise my own issue.
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I am very disappointed.
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I am very disappointed that I cannot raise an issue about which I am seriously concerned.
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With respect, Senator, you have gone way over time. The Senator will have to raise the matter another day.
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I will raise it tomorrow. I am very disappointed.