Rowdy students face boot in anti-social crackdown
Published 27/09/2012 | 05:00
SOME of the country's biggest colleges have been challenged to expel students convicted of making local residents lives hell through repeated anti-social behaviour.
The demand came as one college -- University College Cork (UCC) -- has now asked 4,000 first year students to sign a 'pledge of honour' in a bid to crackdown on rowdy or drunken behaviour during fresher's week, with virtually all first years accepting it.
Gardai confirmed earlier this week that they will mount special patrols to crackdown on anti-social behaviour by students nationwide following a flood of complaints from local residents.
Residents in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick all complained about students whose loutish behaviour and house parties have made their lives a misery. In Cork, residents admitted they were being left prisoners in their own homes by the sick behaviour of some students during college festivals, including rag week.
Residents of Glasheen, Bishopstown and Wilton around University College Cork (UCC) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) -- two of Ireland's biggest third level colleges -- have repeatedly complained of rowdy incidents.
Last February, NUI Galway took action to discipline students after residents in the Corrib Park area complained about anti-social behaviour including weekly all-night parties. Last year, University College Dublin's (UCD) Students Union condemned anti-social behaviour on Dublin Bus services.
Insulting
The statement came after Dublin Bus threatened to withdraw services unless the rowdy and insulting behaviour of students was addressed.
Limerick City Council has set up a special helpline for impacted residents. And the problem has reached such a level in Cork that the city council and gardai are now using CCTV cameras to target trouble spots.
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor John Buttimer (FG), said residents were being forced to watch "everything from urination and copulation in the front garden of houses in areas near the colleges".
"I know of instances where residents have been put through hell because of absentee landlords, out-of-control students and a lack of legislation to allow gardai deal effectively with issues," he added.
Students' organisations stressed that efforts have been made to tackle anti-social behaviour close to college campuses.
Irish Independent
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