Council committee planning crackdown on anti-social behaviour in Mayo
A new policy aimed at tackling and reducing anti-social behaviour in local authority housing is set to come before Mayo County Council in early 2026.
The Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) on Housing is currently in the process of drafting the policy.
The draft will be finalised by the next SPC meeting in December, pending that the policy undergoes legal scrutiny before finalisation, with councillors also requesting input from local Gardaí on the new policy.
Chairperson of the SPC, Cllr Peter Flynn, noted that a key issue around dealing with anti-social behaviour was a lack of clarity around where the responsibility ultimately lies.
Under the new proposal, local authorities will play a central role in the process. Cllr Flynn proposed that each municipal district across the county should have a designated officer responsible for overseeing complaints of anti-social behaviour.
He suggested this role be filled by the current Head of each Municipal District, explaining that “if they want to delegate the responsibility, they can, but the responsibility would rest with them.”
The policy outlines that complaints of anti-social behaviour can be made either by the person affected or by a public representative on their behalf.
It was agreed that complaints cannot be anonymous; however, if an individual was in fear for their safety, they would be able to pass the complaint through to their local representative, who would then raise it with the head of the Municipal District.
Once a complaint is lodged, the responsible officer must initiate an investigation within 10 days.
Cllr Flynn stressed the importance of acting quickly with investigations: “Our aim is the prevention or reduction of anti-social behaviour and to investigate complaints,
“This ultimately has to be the key to any objective, so if a complaint comes in, an investigation is the first step in solution, and they should move on that investigation process as quickly as possible,” he said.
Cllr Harry Barrett raised the issue of the personal safety of public representatives who may be named in complaints made on behalf of constituents.
“I think we have to be careful there, we live in a different era now,” he warned, “We should be able to make a confidential disclosure to An Garda Síochána if a complaint of that nature.”
Noting that public representatives could be put at risk in today’s climate, he proposed that Gardaí liaise directly with the Head of the Municipal District on such complaints, rather than placing the responsibility on councillors.
Cllr Michael Kilcoyne requested the council meet with local Gardaí to iron out the specific details of where the council's responsibilities end and the Guards responsibilities take over.
Cllr Flynn pointed out that the draft policy, as it stands, does not provide the council with powers to evict tenants from local authority housing for anti-social behaviour.
“Let’s make it black and white,” said Cllr Flynn. “If there is evidence of clear anti-social behaviour, we need to take action on it.”
He questioned when the last eviction by Mayo County Council had taken place, saying he could not recall an example “since the days of the town council.”
Director of Housing Tom Gilligan confirmed the last eviction took place three years ago; however, Cllr Kilcoyne highlighted that the most recent evictions were related to unpaid rent rather than serious behavioural issues.
“[They’re] not for terrorising the neighbour,” he said, adding that some tenants have “severe convictions for anti-social behaviour, including injury and use of drugs.”
Cllr Flynn supported these concerns, raising a recent incident where a council employee was physically attacked, and another where criminal activity was ongoing in local authority housing.
“We need to be clear on this, and we need to be seen to be doing something, not just talking about it,” he said.
The draft policy will be finalised in December and is expected to be put before the full council in January 2026.
It will clearly outline the processes, responsibilities, and timelines for addressing antisocial behaviour in local authority housing, with the aim of reducing levels across Mayo.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.