THE House passed the second stage of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, under which housing authorities will be allowed to evict tenants for "antisocial" behaviour and to seek exclusion orders against named people entering housing estates. The Bill is aimed at drug pushers.
During resumed debate yesterday, Dr Pat Upton (Lab, Dublin South Central) said it addressed a serious problem that was crying out for a solution. The leading drug barons were local authority tenants despite being multi millionaires. The Bill sought "in a meaningful way to address this outrage".
Fianna Fail has welcomed, the Bill, but expressed reservations about the definition of anti social behaviour. Mr Ball O'Keeffe (FF Cork South Central) said the evidence for anti social behaviour would be collected from the general public and residents' associations. "It could mean an extension of vigilantism," he said.
Mr Sean Kenny (Lab, Dublin North East) said the Bill would allow local authorities to target drug related activities and related anti social behaviour.
The Bill was referred to a Dail committee.
