Galway officials say removing South Park benches won’t stop disorder
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Officials have warned that removing benches from South Park will not solve ongoing anti-social behaviour and cautioned against what they described as a “knee-jerk response”.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Josie Forde said residents, Gardaí and members of the Claddagh community believed the benches should go, at a recent Central Ward Area Committee Meeting.
The debate followed complaints about anti-social behaviour in the area.
However, officials warned that removing the benches would fail to address the root cause of the issue and could create wider implications for public spaces across the city.
We would be setting a precedent that anyone who sits on a bench and drinks, that it should be removed.
“We need a more robust solution. We have intentions to upgrade the benches and we will happily do it next year. We can look at the orientation of them rather than a knee-jerk response to just get rid of them.”
Officials also suggested the issue could instead be examined through the Local Community Safety Partnership framework.
The official added that “benches aren’t causing the anti-social behaviour” and said there were broader underlying issues contributing to people gathering in the area.
Reference was also made to previous interventions in Fr Burke Park, where anti-social behaviour was reportedly reduced after hedges were cut back to improve visibility.
Independent Cllr Eibhlin Seoighthe said she would commit her Local Improvement Scheme funding next year to help improve the area and said it needed a “proactive uplift approach”.
Committee chair Cllr John McDonagh (Lab) said the matter would remain on the agenda for the next area meeting, where the six councillors would decide whether to bring the proposal forward to the full council for a vote.
However, Cllr Josie Forde said that deferring the decision was simply “kicking the can down the road”.
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