Plans to close a laneway in Dublin city centre due to drug use and violence in the area must be a “short-term” solution.

Dublin City Council  (DCC) has confirmed that a request to "extinguish the right of way" at Harbour Court has been submitted by local property owners.

A council report has found that the lane, which connects to Eden Quay, Abbey Street and Malborough Street, is regularly used for intravenous drug use and is littered with needles and other drug paraphernalia.

On The Pat Kenny Show Social Democrats Councillor Cat O'Driscoll said closing off laneways like Harbour Court must be a "short-term plan" for DCC.

"It's really a shame that this is how desperate we are that we have to close off public spaces," she told The Pat Kenny Show.

"I walk past laneways all the time that smell like a public toilet because we don't have appropriate toilet facilities that are 24/7 in this city."

'Difficult subject'

Independent Councillor Cieran Perry said public laneways are a "difficult subject".

"We shouldn't be closing public facilities and public spaces," he said.

"We shouldn't have to close public spaces to deal with antisocial behaviour – as a society we should be able to tackle that through high-visibility policing."

People walking on O'Connell Street in Dublin city centre Picture by: NurPhoto SRL / Alamy Stock Photo

The Council is now piloting a programme which will encourage business owners to turn their properties "laneway facing", Cllr Perry said.

"In some other laneways, Dublin City Council are speaking to the business owners and they are interested in doing that and that pilot will be run later this year or early next year," he said.

"We're hoping that that may show the businesses how successful it can be in dissipating the antisocial behaviour and also adding to their business."

Danger in the city

Cllr Perry said the "ongoing issue" of violence and anti-social behaviour in the capital is tarnishing the reputation of Dublin both nationally and internationally.

"My fear is that this will be a storm in a teacup, and in a month, or two, or three, we'll be back talking about the same thing again unless there are serious changes made," he said.

"It is dangerous, like most capital cities, but not extremely dangerous, but the perception is that it is and that's dissuading people from coming into the city who have lived in the city all their life, and that's something that just cannot continue."

21/05/2022 Capel Street Pedestrianised. Photograph: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

Cllr O'Driscoll said "pro-social" activities will counteract antisocial behaviour.

"I've really enjoyed spending time on Capel Street in recent months because it's been pedestrianised and we have an atmosphere there where people share meals on the streets," she said.

"Then I get my bus home from O'Connell Street the behaviour I see around The Spire – open drug dealing, violence – it just makes me feel unsafe.

"Ask anyone who's more vulnerable – whether they are a woman or they're an immigrant or there's somebody from the LGBT community – they haven't felt safe in the city for quite a while."

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