Cllr William Carey has called upon the government to increase funding for the provision of youth workers in the South west Clondalkin area. This follows the releasing of a report last month from the “Rights Platform” that poverty levels and levels of deprivation have increased in South County Dublin from 2016 to 2022.
Candidates running in the local and European elections were recently invited to a presentation of statistics on the increase of deprivation in South county Dublin. It was pointed out that this growing trend mirrored the lack of adequate youth services throughout the county.
At the final meeting of SDCC Clondalkin area committee meeting (April 17th) Cllr Carey had a motion passed calling upon the government to increase funding for youth services, with a specific purpose of putting in adequate services into the South West Clondalkin area.
According to Cllr Carey the motion follows from a growing feeling in Clondalkin that drug dealing, and crime generally is growing unabated. At a recent meeting of South west Clondalkin community safety forum gardai confirmed that a great deal of activity had moved into the Corkagh park area and that this was a worrying trend for one of South Dublin’s primary parks. Concern was expressed about several violent incidents which had occurred in the area which included an attack on an individual with a machete, an arson attack on a home and the death of Croation national Josip Strok (two teenagers are currently before the courts in relation to the death).
Cllr Carey added that within the South west of Clondalkin there are only 4 youth workers working with youth in the area. This is totally inadequate and at a minimum this needs to see a trebling of youth workers to provide intervention and direct those vulnerable away from involvement in crime.
Cllr Carey continued that there are currently only 4 community gardai operating from Clondalkin garda station where there should be a full compliment of at least 12 for operational purposes.
Cllr Carey concluded by saying we cannot allow this shortfall in services to continue and said this government needs to prioritise our youth services. A failure to do so will multiply the cost to our society in the future.
