Tipperary County Council say they do not move challenging tenants

Tipperary County Council do not move their more challenging tenants to other areas.

That is according to the housing section’s Senior Executive Officer Cora Morrissey at a recent sitting of the Tipperary Joint Policing Committee.

“We tackle the issue where it is,” said Ms Morrissey.

Ms Morrissey said there is a “fine line” between a vulnerable client and anti-social behaviour.

She was responding to comments made by councillor David Dunne during the discussion on the council’s draft plan to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Dunne said he would like to see a more “hands on approach” to anti-social behaviour.

He said taking tenants causing conflict in one area and putting them in another “causes more problems”.

Cllr Dunne also said that dealing with conflict in communities is the thing he dislikes most about his job because there are always two sides to a story.

He said that councillors know the people in their constituencies.

But when new people move in, local representatives do not know that person’s background.

This, he said, can make dealing with disputes or pre-existing behavioural issues difficult.

Drugs

Cllr Annemarie Ryan asked if a drug use and/or conviction was grounds for eviction from a council property.

Estate Manager Breda Ryan said that while drug use is prohibited, it must cause a “nuisance” to trigger an eviction.

She said a conviction could trigger an eviction but that housing staff are not made aware when a person goes to court.

Ms Ryan also said the information was not necessarily given when a person receives a council house.

“We don’t need to know every conviction a person has,” said Ms Morrissey.

Ms Ryan said drug use is a “criminal matter” for the gardaí.

Support

Chief Superintendent Colm O’Sullivan said following the plan presentation that much of the work is done at superintendent level. He said some of the issues they deal with do not meet a “criminal threshold.”

However, they can still employ a behaviour order, and issues can be resolved.

“There has always been a close relationship with the gardaí and people in a housing area. We will support where we can,” said Chief Supt O’Sullivan.