Kilkenny Local Authorities were once again picking up the pieces after a night of vandalism destroyed the landscape of Kilkenny city on Thursday night last week.
Flower pots were overturned and flowers and shrubs were pulled from tubs and flower beds and dumped on the streets in yet another random act of vandalism in Kilkenny city.
Kilkenny Local Authorities are becoming more and more frustrated with the frequency of acts of vandalism that are occurring in public spaces across the city and county in recent times.
Already nearly 20 trees were maliciously sawn in half along the river park at the beginning of the summer and the members of both local authorities heard this month that the authorities were required to set aside some €55,000 in order to repair or replace equipment in playgrounds that has been subjected to vandalism on an annual basis.
The city is currently making huge efforts to secure gold in the Tidy Towns Competition and the efforts are constantly being challenged and thwarted by thugs who insist on wreaking havoc on plants, property and playground equipment.
This week the council approved a draft set of bye laws governing public amenity spaces and playgrounds in a bid to stop some of the anti-social behaviour that is currently hindering public spaces.
Chairman of Kilkenny County Council Paul Cuddihy welcomed the bye-laws but he pleaded with people to act responsibly on the streets by day and by night.
He agreed that some of the behaviour was indeed drink-fuelled but he added that some was ‘pure malice.’
“Cutting trees in half requires a plan and although drink can play a part in tossing potted plants around the streets, I don’t believe that the sawing of trees in half is a drink-fuelled activity — I think that it is premeditated,” he said. “And it is a pretty sad individual who would partake in this activity,” he added.
He hopes that the introduction of the Parks Bye Laws will help with enforcing good behaviour in public spaces in the future.
“Well, the bye-laws can’t hurt. They will give the Gardai more power to enforce the law and hopefully the threat of a fine or a prosecution will also be off-putting for people.”Cllr Cuddihy pointed out that the council spends up to €1million per annum on street cleaning and litter prevention.
“If we could only cut this bill in half we would have half a million euro to put into something more positive such as a peace park in the city or we might be able to help out residents’ associations with their needs,” he said. “Of course we have to spend this money now but it is a terrible waste of public money.
Cllr Cuddihy added that Kilkenny’s reputation as somewhere positive to holiday is of utmost importance to the local economy.
“We have a good reputation to date from a tourism perspective and we have to keep it that way. We have two and a half thousand beds to fill in this city every night. Tourism means more services, more jobs and it keeps the local economy in flux.”
He added that the Mayor, David Fitzgerald and several voluntary groups had put enormous effort into cleaning the city for the Tidy Towns Competition and he hoped that they would be supported by all.
“These people deserve great credit for what they have done for the city and count . The Tidy Towns judges are around all summer and hopefully Kilkenny has suitably impressed this year.
“I’d be hopeful that the moronic and selfish behaviour of a small minority won’t detract from the huge efforts of the vast majority,” he added.
