SOME parents in parts of Tallaght troubled recently by youths stealing cars and attacking gardai are not controlling their children, the Assistant Garda Commissioner, Mr Tom King, has said.
Mr King was speaking after meeting residents from the Knockmore and Killinarden estates in the Dublin suburb where four officers were injured by a crowd of youths, throwing stones and bottles on Easter Sunday.
A 15 year old boy alleged to be at the centre of the disturbances in which a number of cars were also wrecked was rearrested early yesterday.
He was returned to Trinity House detention centre in Lusk, Co Dublin, from which he absconded on St Patrick's Day.
Yesterday's meeting at Tallaght Garda station was also attended by Minister of State and local TD, Mr Pat Rabbitte, and Chief Supt Pat Crummy from the South Dublin Metropolitan Area.
Mr Rabbitte said the Government and the Garda "acknowledged frankly" that it was "not tolerable" for residents to continue living with the "vandalism, so called joyriding and harassment" experienced last weekend and since before Christmas.
Residents complained that a "frightening minority" of young people roamed around with weapons and threatened them.
They felt like prisoners in their own homes, he said.
Mr Rabbitte said the problem was not just a policing issue and better co ordination of State agencies was needed.
There were a great many positive things happening in Tallaght but it had inherited a legacy of endemic social problems.
"There is a whole generation of young people ready to be led in the wrong direction unless the State better co ordinates its resources, he said.
Mr King said the recent disturbances and vandalism were not the reason for his visit to Tallaght, which was part of an ongoing series of meetings, there.
He said 17 young men, the "so called ring leaders" from the Knockmore estate, were identified as troublesome last January and their parents were approached by gardai.
The responses ranged from "good, with parents taking responsibility", to "indifference and no response at all".
The troublesome people were aged between 15 and 18, with one 23 year old.
Some were charged and imprisoned and have since returned to the estate.
Mr King said it was "relevant" that 1,000 of the 1,800 residents on the Knockmore estate were under 18 years.
"Energy has to be diverted, organised and controlled in a sense and primarily, as with all young people, you have to start in the home and you have to start with the family and I can't say that there was sufficient parental control of some youths.
"There are very many decent hard working ordinary of doing their best like the people I met this morning plus a whole lot more. There are others who are really making no effort."
Mr King said he told residents he would "give them a policing service that would enable them to live in peace and quiet and order".
He intended to resolve the problems through a "Garda support presence" to the satisfaction of the community.
The second step was to involve the local council in environmental issues and, in the longer term, to engage more fully with local agencies. He stressed the need for "bottom up" support of the local communities.
Mr King said he found it "extraordinary that you look to the police to resolve a situation caused by your own children outside your front door. I'm not criticising them parents.
"Clearly they need support and they need help to be able to deal with those issues and we will do that absolutely. But the issue of parenting can't be avoided."
He said he had "no opinion" of Mr Rabbitte's recent calls for a separate Garda division for Tallaght.
A spokeswoman for the residents said they were happy with the meeting and would "wait and see" what would happen.