New bye laws have been presented to the members of Kilkenny Local Authorities in a bid to prevent anti-social behaviour in parks, playgrounds and other multi-use games areas in the charge of Kilkenny Local Authorities.
The draft bye laws are to go on public display for two months prior to being adopted in full in October of this year.
The authorities saw it necessary to devise bye laws that would govern playgrounds and other amenity spaces in charge of the local authorities as a result of the cost of vandalism and anti-social behaviour to the city and county councils in recent years.
Simon Walton senior engineer for roads and parks at Kilkenny County Council said, “in the borough council area, there is €20,000 spent annually on replacing playground equipment that has been vandalised. In the county council area some €35,000 is set aside each year for the same reason.”
Members of the council welcomed the draft bye-laws and several voiced their concerns about anti-social behaviour taking place in the open spaces and parks in their areas.
“Some €130,000 was spent on equipment for the playgrounds that the council constructed around the county and damage done to the playgrounds is damage done to children. Intimidation in playgrounds is very prevalent and it’s a disgrace that we have to set aside €35,000 of council funds because of vandalism,” said Thomastown councillor Michael O’ Brien.
Last week members of the joint policing committee heard that Garda statistics show that there have been 210 incidents of criminal damage reported in Kilkenny so far this year including damage to public property, trees, plants, flowers lights etc.
It is hoped that when the bye-laws come into effect in October the vandals involved will be deterred with the threat of a fine or prosecution.
“The bye-laws won’t solve all our problems,” said Mr Walton, “but they will afford maintenance staff authority to issue fines when they come across behaviour that contravenes the Parks Bye Laws and the Gardai will also have the power to enforce them,” he added.
