Mayor’s concern that right of way routes leading to problems

A claim that rights of way between housing estates in parts of Mullingar are facilitating the development of antisocial behaviour was made by the mayor of Mullingar, Cllr Mick Dollard at the April meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar, Kinnegad.

At the meeting he had a motion on the agenda calling on the district to indicate when it intended beginning the process to extinguish the pedestrian right of way between The Cedars and The Close in Lakepoint.

The extinguishment had been agreed by the authority in 2025, he reminded officials.

Cllr Dollard said that the level of antisocial behaviour has been increasing because of this through-way. “It’s serving no use, this particular right of way, because it isn’t in fact going to any facilities,” he stated and he said he had been approached by a large number of residents seeking to have it blocked off.

Cllr Dollard said there were precedents for such actions in place, and he cited areas such as Glenview, Abbeylands and Ashfield as being areas where rights of way had been extinguished.

The written response to Cllr Dollard’s motion stated that it was a function of the local authority to protect the right of the public to use public rights of way in its administrative area and to not advocate for their extinguishment.

Stated the response: “More often, extinguishment of public rights of way can lead to the area becoming an ‘eyesore’ and increased levels of anti-social behaviour and illegal dumping as has been the case in other local estates.”

However, it continued, if members agreed to the commencement of the process, public consultation could begin.

The response went on to state that on extinguishment of the right of way, Westmeath County Council would be fully discharged of any maintenance obligations in respect of the subject footpath.

“The council will also be deemed to have legally abandoned said stretch, and all public rights of access to the green area shall also be permanently waived and extinguished,” it concluded.

Cllr Dollard said that as recently as in the last six months An Garda Síochána had met the housing section of Westmeath County Council as a consequence of a lot of antisocial behaviour in the west end of Mullingar, and he stated that gardaí were firmly of the view that those rights of way now create a lot of problems.

He said gardaí find themselves getting notified of issues, they arrive in a squad car “and the next thing some of the young people that are involved in the antisocial behaviour are going off on scooters and the gardaí can’t apprehend them”.