‘Well-known drug dealers’ living in Waterford council houses and paying ‘minimal rent’

There are “well-known drug dealers” who are living in Waterford council houses and paying “minimal rent”, a council meeting has heard.

The issue was raised by Sinn Féin councillor John Hearne at the July plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council.

Cllr Hearne said: “I also raised the issue at the safety meeting that a mini-CAB be set up for this division area.

“When you see well-known drug dealers living in council estates and paying minimal rent, on conviction they should be facing a rent review so we get what we should be getting.

“If they’re running a business and not telling us about it, we should be getting the rent we’re entitled to.”

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He went on to say that such people shouldn’t be having their accommodation paid for by the council.

“They shouldn’t be getting subsidised accommodation off us.

“Anybody who gets a conviction as well and down substantial sums of money, automatically they should be taken off any of our housing lists.

“We shouldn’t be in the business of subsidising people who are basically killing kids in their own estates.”

In response to Cllr Hearne, Director of Services Seamus De Faoite admitted that anti-social behaviour is an issue in some council estates.

Mr De Faoite said: “Just to Cllr Hearne’s point first in relation to anti-social behaviour. It is an issue that we have in certain pockets of the city and the county.

“I suppose it’s again, how do we try and either take these people out of it or work with them.

“It’s ensuring that a minority don’t spoil the life of all the people there.”

However, he emphasised the importance of due process in terms of the council pursuing action against such tenants.

“It’s very important and again, we have to work with processes and that process involves due process, building up a case and going through the courts and that takes time and it’s a frustrating process but it is a fair process.

“It’s ensuring that we are working well with our communities, with the local teams out there, with the local members to see what we can do.”

Mr De Faoite concluded by saying that by taking such action, the council can “show that the local authority isn’t afraid to bring cases”.