FIANNA Fáil councillor Kieran O’Hanlon has called for the Council to consider bye-laws which would prohibit off licences in certain areas of the city.
This came on the back of concerns, raised by the City North representative with the local authority, over street drinking, anti-social behaviour, and intimidation in the vicinity of St John’s Cathedral.
Speaking at September’s Metropolitan District meeting, Cllr O’Hanlon told Council management he has recently had discussions with clergy members and those who manage the upkeep of the cathedral.
“Their hearts are absolutely broken with people who are drunk and intimidating people going to weddings, funerals, and christenings and everything else. The root of the issue is the availability of drink and the off licence,” the former Mayor insisted.
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He told Council members that “we’re going to have to look at it as a Council where off licences operate from. Certainly in a historical area, right opposite the cathedral, and right opposite an infant school, there should be no off licence.”
“I don’t know what we can do because it is within the bye-laws, but I think if we have to introduce bye-laws to prevent off licences in certain areas.”
Cllr O’Hanlon assured those at the meeting that he’s “not anti drink”.
“It’s fine if people want to have their six packs or whatever, they can take them away. But they shouldn’t be using the fountain in St John’s Square as a gathering area for their drinking and everything else.”
The veteran councillor said he “was saddened we had to remove the seats from St John’s Square, because we should have seating around the fountain, but the fountain is an issue because they sit around it to do their drinking”.
The Fianna Fáil man also suggested that the Council look at engineering a solution that would prevent street drinkers congregating at the fountain in St John’s Square.
“Unfortunately, I think we’re going to have to do something until we get rid of the street drinkers there. Either we put up railings or something that makes it uncomfortable to sit down on the steps,” he concluded.