A Laois County Councillor has called for public seating to be removed from a popular part of Portlaoise in a bid to curb a number of issues.
Independent Councillor Tommy Mulligan made the call in relation to benches in Lyster Square and asked that they be replaced by planter boxes.
The benches in question are located opposite Mulhall’s SuperValu and opposite Euro Giant/Post Office.
Cllr Mulligan explained that he wasn’t against seating, but rather against what the seating was being used for.
He said that he had received a lot of complains from businesses and members of the public in the area.
Cllr Mulligan told the meeting that groups of people were congregating at these benches and ‘drinking, littering and engaging in anti-social behaviour’.
He said: “One lady told me that she was assaulted and the guards were called to make an arrest.
“There is also a lot of aggressive begging. Customers and staff have received abuse from groups sitting around there.
“I know that some elderly people are afraid to walk along there and are instead getting dropped to the Post Office.”
Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald agreed and explained how elderly people had also expressed their fear to her
She said: “There have been numerous complaints and calls to gardaí.
“Gardai come but they can’t be there all of the time so I would support anything we can do to ease anti-social behaviour there.”
In a written reply, a council official said the layout of seating in the car park ‘will be examined, in line with the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) upgrade proposals for Lyster Square’.
In a second motion, Cllr Mulligan asked that Laois County Council install double yellow lines at both sides of the entrance to The Beeches in Forest Park.
And in a third motion, Cllr Mulligan called on the Council to carry out a safety review on the signage positioned on the roundabouts in Portlaoise town.
In relation to the double yellow lines, engineer Wes Wilkinson said he would meet Cllr Mulligan at the location to assess what could be done.
While as regards the signage, Road Design said they will contact Cllr Mulligan to arrange a meeting.
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