Recently, large gatherings of teenagers have been congregating in the Pimlico area in the evenings, which can appear “frightening”, especially to older people living in the area.
Some residents have reported groups of 30 or more engaging in “messing” such as burning bins, damaging public property, vandalising parked cars or throwing fireworks.
According to Sinn Féin councillor Máire Devine, facilities for teens in the area are “sorely lacking”.
With the closure of the Donore Community Centre over three years ago due to a fire, and the loss of Carmens Hall Centre, she questioned where young people are expected to go.
“Some devilment is expected, and some say it is necessary as teens navigate their way towards young adulthood,” she said. “They have no safe space to do that – the community centre is shockingly still years away from completion.
“There is a responsibility on local authorities to provide facilities and support youth projects for them.
“This doesn’t appear to be a priority, given the projected five-year-plus timeline for the refurbishment of Donore Community Centre following an accidental fire in 2021.
Councillor Máire Devine has called for more youth services in Dublin 8
“Gardaí have been involved following complaints from locals about large gatherings and some damaged vehicles. They are mindful not to escalate this unnecessarily, and a community policing response is the best approach.
“Aengus Ó Snodaigh and I met with senior gardaí who acknowledged the dearth of community officers and are pleased that four more for the Kevin Street district will be visible on foot patrol by the end of the year.
“Engaging, encouraging, educating and enabling the teen community to thrive safely is all our responsibility,” she added.
Recently, local youth workers engaged with a group of young people in Pimlico to explore their interest in participating in more positive activities, according to Councillor Jen Cummins of the Social Democrats, who has a background in youth work.
“Young people want to come in and do centre-based activities, but the problem is there are so many young people and not enough space in the centre,” she said.
“If you can’t fit everybody in, then where are they going to go? They’re going to hang out on the road.
“Just because young people are hanging around, doesn’t mean they’re being anti-social. It can be loud, and they may mess about, but most of the time they’re not interested in bothering others.
“If young people are hanging out at two o’clock in the morning and they’re in their early or mid-teens, there’s an issue there. Parents need to be supported to say, ‘No, you’re not going out at that time’. It’s hard to parent teenagers,” she added.
She said the current lack of facilities for young people is “so frustrating”, not only for the younger generation, but also for elderly people in the community, who used places like the Donore Community Centre to meet, have a cup of tea and enjoy themselves.
Cllr Cummins added that any vacant land in the area should be used for playing fields or public spaces instead of being left idle.
