Editorial – Neighbours from hell no more?

FORâ€Ë†TOO many people the term 'neighbours from hell' is much more than a television series showing 40-foot leylandii hedges overshadowing suburban gardens. There are now websites and support groups from the UK to Australia to advise people how to deal with neighbours who are making their lives a misery. We do not appear to have got that far in this country, but there is sufficient anecdotal evidence to show that many law-abiding citizens are living lives of occasional if not constant misery because of the anti-social behaviour of the people who live next door.[private] The problem is quite often associated with the few Traveller families who are not interested in abiding by the social norms of their settled neighbours. However, anti-social behaviour is not confined to any one class. Some areas near third-level institutions are plagued by the drunken loutishness of so-called middle class students. The socio-economic status of the offender does not make much difference to the people whose lives are blighted by their neighbours. What matters is that the powers that be, in most cases the local authority, are prepared and empowered to act against persistent offenders. That is why the comments by Galway County Council's Director of Services that unruly and destructive tenants will not simply be moved to another house are to be welcomed. For too long decent citizens have felt that the law and the local authorities bend over backwards to facilitate the problem families, while effectively ignoring the damage they are doing to their law-abiding neighbours. There comes a time when sympathy for the underprivileged has to give way to the greater good of the community. Galway County Council appears to have reached that point. [/private]