Not fair to tag rent supplement recipients as anti-social
A Eagarthóir,
I wish to comment on some of the remarks made by Cllr Declan McDonnell in Kieran Andrews report on anti-social behaviour published in The Advertiser June 28th 2012. The councillor calls for Rent Supplement to be removed from tenants who are found guilty of anti-social behaviour and for their names to be removed from the waiting list for social housing.
Why does he feel the need to single out those receiving a welfare benefit in relation to this issue? Rent supplement is a necessary safety net, provided by the state, for many thousands of decent citizens and their families who cannot afford to pay for their own accommodation through no fault of their own.
Many people in our lovely city experience anti-social behaviour on a regular basis. This is perpetrated by a small minority who come from many walks of life and from different economic circumstances. The law and the procedures for obtaining relief from anti-social behaviour are weak and difficult to access for most. Perhaps the councillor could set his mind to campaigning for long overdue reform in this area.
Yours,
Alan Sheerins
1 Beattystown
Fair Hill Road Claddagh, Galway
