Formal local election candidate Emmet Maloney is once again calling out the ongoing issue of anti-social behaviour on Wexford’s Main Street.
Mr Maloney, whilst not successful in the local elections, feels so strong about this issue he is speaking out again in a bid to highlight it and push for solutions.
With the Fleadh Cheoil literally around the corner and putting Wexford Town firmly on the map Mr Maloney believes we need to be realistic about what is actually happening on our Main Street.
Mr Maloney said, “Elderly people & children are afraid to walk the main street at the moment. And I’ll give you examples. It’s down to alcohol and drug-addled people that are behaving like this on the town. And it’s a small minority. And the Gardai will tell you that themselves. It’s a small minority of 13 or 14 people. Some of them are under the age of 18 and some of them should know better. But the problem at the moment is if I was a tourist in Wexford town at the moment and we had a bright sunny day and we were rocking up the town, I wouldn’t be inclined to sit outside establishment and partake in a pint. I wouldn’t be inclined to sit outside some of the coffee shops and have a cup of coffee. Because of what’s rearing its head in the town at the moment is violence.
It’s an unbecoming behaviour at the moment. And we’re not selling the town when we see people like this.”
He continued: “And unfortunately they’re getting away with it. The guards will tell you that it may be down to resources and maybe down that these people are minors and so on.
But I simply don’t accept that at this stage because I suggested when running as a local candidate about community programs that we could have reached.
It’s been adopted in Waterford and it’s been adopted in Dublin where basically that there was community wardens on the town that liaised with the retailers and liaised with the guard.
You could say it’s something similar to the police community support officers in the United Kingdom. And that’s worked quite well. Now that fell on deaf ears. I brought him Mr. James Brown’s office who is very open to the audience. Obviously if I had been elected it’s something that I would have pushed vigorously. What actually happens is that they walk the Main Street. They’re in the form of a uniform. They liaise with the retailers and obviously they liaise with the public. It’s funded by the County Council obviously. But it’s definitely working in Dublin. I witnessed it on Grafton Street recently.”
Mr Maloney said that every week there’s been some form of a violent incident that is taking place on the Main Street. Open drug dealing, violence and unbecoming behaviour.
He said, “But we have to be realistic here. Where does the buck stop? Does it stop the judiciary? Does it stop with our ministers? Does it stop with the guard or superintendent or the chief superintendent? My concern at this moment in the time that there’s no collective plan by our councillors, by our guardies and by our TD’s.”
He continued, “But I tell you what I can see. I can see groups of youths roaming the streets, riding bikes in the one-way system. You could say elderly people are afraid of jumping out of the way. And it’s blatant to see. I see people that are drunk and completely out of their heads on illegal substances. Throughout the Main Street they’re sitting outside banks. They’re sitting outside coffee shops. I mean, how do the people that are running the coffee shops feel? How do the customers that have paid money for their coffee feel with these?”
When asked if he was fearful that he himself could become a target as a result of the views he’s expressing, Mr Maloney said, ” I couldn’t care less. And I’ll tell you why because at the end of the day somebody has to speak up on it. And you know what? Let’s be realistic. What it all boils down to? Drugs.”
