Antisocial behaviour
Senator Fitzpatrick described antisocial behaviour as a growing problem in communities, and Senator Carrigy supported her call while pointing to community safety partnerships as the way forward.
I want to bring up a very important issue that is undermining and corroding my community and communities all over the country. I refer to the issue of antisocial behaviour. I define antisocial behaviour as behaviour that is unfriendly in any way. It can be anything from being rude online to gratuitous random attacks of physical violence. These have been documented in the media but unfortunately far too many people are experiencing them in real life. They are being experienced in our public spaces, on public transportation, in public parks, on our streets and outside of people's homes. It is not rampant. It is typically a small group of people who engage in this type of behaviour. It is not representative of my community or of communities around the country. We need a full debate on the issue in the House. I am a founding director of a community policing forum in Cabra. I know that communities are engaged. Community gardaí provide an invaluable service. They know who belongs in their communities. We need a debate on the resourcing of community gardaí in every community around the country. The other group we need to involve in this debate is the social media platforms. Snapchat, WhatsApp and TikTok have to stop acting as if they have no responsibility in this space. They cannot abdicate their responsibility. We cannot allow them to do so. They have a social obligation and responsibility to ensure that materials and content being shared on their platforms are not antisocial in any way. We need to hold them to account. I would like the Leader to organise a debate on that issue.
Comment on this
I second Senator Fitzpatrick's comments. This issue is becoming extremely prevalent on our streets in all the towns and villages. Going home from Dublin on a Friday evening, I used to notice the large numbers of youths out with drink and so on. You need only have watched "Claire Byrne Live" last night to see images that are replicated in every single town around the country. I am a firm advocate of the recently established community safety partnerships. There have been three, including a pilot in my own county of Waterford and another in inner city Dublin. That is the way forward. We must work together. Antisocial behaviour is a serious issue. The vast majority of this is being carried out by young teenagers. When I was a young teenager, my parents - God rest them - did not let me out and about like that. Parents must take more responsibility. Councillor Liam Galvin was on the programme last night and said that parents need to take more responsibility, particularly for kids aged under 16. Something such as fixed fines should be put in place for situations in which children stray like that. Something has to be put in place to ensure more care is taken. I agree with the comments Councillor Galvin made.
The second issue I will speak about relates to the arts community, for which I am a spokesperson. This morning, I met Mona Considine, the artistic director of the Backstage Theatre in Longford, along with a number of companies that are developing plays for when they can be put on stage, which we hope will be in 2022.
It is important that funding in the budget is put in place for the Arts Council for 2022 and this year's funding levels are maintained. In tough times, we have turned to the arts. Companies have worked hard in putting on plays, etc., for people in nursing homes and many other places. We need to ensure we keep that funding in place for 2022.