Thugs target Mullingar house for a third time

A Westmeath County Council house at Farran, Mullingar is just over a year old and has seen three tenants living in it because of the constant vandalism that takes place there.During the summer, the Westmeath Examiner carried a story of a young mum and her son who were terrorised on a weekly basis by youths wearing hoodies, and who subsequently had to move house because of the nightly damage that was caused to their home.Now the new tenant, Alan Byrne, who has been living there for just two months, is experiencing the same anti-social behaviour, and says he cannot live there anymore."It was a Wednesday night and they broke the back window. I wasn't there at the time, but I was watching tv the following night and they broke the front sitting room window right in on top of me," explains Alan."Then last Sunday night they broke the back patio door, which gives them free access to come in and out as they please," he continued.Alan Byrne has a three-year-old daughter who stays with him two nights a week, but now, he and his former partner have decided it is unsafe for their daughter to stay in the house because both parents are afraid for her safety."The Council said they would put cameras and lights in, but that was nearly a month ago, and nothing has been done," he continued. "The windows haven't even been replaced so it is too cold to stay there."I've had to lock all my belongings in one room in case they would come in and take something. I've put down new wooden floors and completely decked out the house, but it is all useless now. They even cut the cable wires for the TV!"Alan has made statements to the Gardaí, but says there isn't a lot that can be done:"The Council thought it would stop once there was a male tenant in the house, but it hasn't and I feel like I'm just waiting for it to happen again."The house is just over a year old and I am the third tenant. Even if they get the cameras in, I still wouldn't have my daughter come to stay because it is going to happen again, and it simply isn't safe," he stated.