Dublin city councillors push to have an inner city road closed to the public

Ormond Place.

DUBLIN CITY COUNCILLORS are pushing to close off public access to a road in the north inner city due to frequent anti-social behaviour and drug use.

As first reported in the Dublin Inquirer, at the Central Area Committee meeting last week, Sinn Féin councillor Janice Boylan put forward a motion to close off Ormond Place in Dublin 7, near the Four Courts.

Fien Gael councillor Ray MacAdam and Independent councillor Christy Burke put forward an emergency motion on the same issue.

McAdam said he, Boylan, and Councillor Janet Horner had attended a meeting with local residents before Easter, and had a petition signed by 57 residents asking for the right of way at Ormond Place to be extinguished.

The road backs onto a number of houses on Ormond Square, and councillors say residents have been complaining about widespread anti-social behaviour on the street for over a decade.

Reading from the petition at the council meeting, McAdam cited significant drug dealing and drug use, the road being frequently used as a public toilet, constant litter and rubbish, and the fact that the lane was dangerous and made residents worried about their own safety in their homes, as reasons put forward for closing it.

Speaking to TheJournal today, McAdam said that this had been an ongoing issue for many years and that residents “have tried on a number of occasions over the years to look for the laneway to be closed”.

He said the issue was last raised in 2021 and there were commitments made to address the residents’ concerns but that issues were ongoing.

“It’s always a reactive thing,” he said.

“With the city council the gardaí it is always ‘how we can react to the situation?’ It’s a very difficult laneway for a proactive approach to be adopted.

The residents have just had enough.

In January, Dublin City Council made the decision to close Harbour Court, a laneway between Marlborough Street and Lower Abbey Street, to the public.

The laneway was closed following reports that criminal activity, including the sale of drugs, and other anti-social behaviour was taking place there.

Councillors agreed to progress proposals in relation to Ormond Place. McAdam said a number of clarifications were needed from the Roads Department of DCC before the area committee began the process to close the road.

He said that as there was no full council meeting in June, due to the local elections, it was likely that the final decision would not be taken until the term of the next council.