Locals: ‘Enough is enough’
Residents from the Magazine Road area are urging gardaí to stop so-called Covid-19 parties in their area.
It comes as the amount of parties in the area has increased recently during the Covid-19 restrictions, and previous lockdown, which have been tormenting residents.
Residents recently held protests in the area to object to the amount of parties being held.
Chairperson of the Association, Catherine Clancy said: “We are calling on the HSE to connect with An Garda Síochána, who already have the information on these houses as they have been called on over the last four or five days, to go in and close them down.
“Last weekend we saw, yet again, more lockdown Covid-19 house parties in the area and enough is enough. We have brought this as far as we can as a community, it’s now up to the relevant bodies to deal with this,” she said this week.
The Magazine Road Residents Association is pleading for An Garda Síochána and the HSE to enforce the 1947 Health Act which the group says give the HSE the power to enter and investigate houses where an expected breach of the regulations are made under the Act, and this includes Covid-19.
The 1947 Health Act has provisions including penalties of fines and jail, the group says.
Meanwhile the presidents of UCC and CIT have circulated an email to students concerning the issues in the area. The email advised students of their responsibility in adhering to national health guidelines and to act responsibly and respectfully at all times.
The email said: “In the past week, there have been very distressing incidents of anti-social behaviour in our local community, particularly in the College Road and Magazine Road area.”
The email stated that many of these incidents did not involve CIT and UCC students and that many students living and working in the local area have been respectful towards the local community.
The email added: “However, recent events have been very distressing for local residents. We have a shared responsibility to ensure we protect ourselves and our community, and, while the term has finished, we remind students who are acting irresponsibly that they are still subject to disciplinary procedures.”
The email confirmed that CIT and UCC are working together with the gardaí and the local authorities on this issue.
“Our strength comes from our local community, and we must respect and support it through responsible behaviour. Respect for our neighbours is respecting ourselves also,” the email concluded.