Emmet Moloney defends stance on anti-social behaviour in Wexford town

Emmet Moloney of the Wexford Community Forum has defended his stance on crime and anti-social behaviour in Wexford town following strong local reaction to comments he made to the Irish Sun.

Speaking on South East Radio's Morning Mix Mr Moloney said he stands over the concerns he has raised and insists some of the incidents he referred to were witnessed by him personally.

He said groups of young people had been involved in fighting and in kicking shop windows and doors on the Main Street and said Gardaí had been contacted in relation to incidents.

Mr Moloney rejected suggestions that he is exaggerating the scale of the problem.

“I'm not over exaggerating things,” he said.

He also defended the decision to publish footage of a fight in Wexford town, saying he had “absolutely” no regrets about doing so and arguing that it had helped highlight concerns about policing and Garda resources.

However, the comments have prompted criticism from some locally who believe they risk portraying Wexford town in an unfairly negative light.

Mr Moloney acknowledged that the actions of a minority should not be taken as representative of young people generally and praised the many young people involved in sport, drama and community life across Wexford.

“We have some great youth in Wexford too,” he said.

He also stressed that he remains proud of the town and its retail, hospitality and cultural offering.

“I love my town, I love my county deeply,” he told the programme.

Mr Moloney says his primary concern is the level of Garda visibility in the town centre.

While praising rank-and-file Gardaí, he believes more resources and patrols are needed and is calling for Garda numbers in Wexford town to be reviewed.

He also rejected claims that highlighting anti-social behaviour could itself damage local retail.

“I don't think I'm damaging the retail in the town,” he said adding that he believes the issues need to be openly discussed rather than ignored.

Mr Moloney said he does not want the Wexford Community Forum to become associated solely with negative stories and wants it to also promote positive business and human-interest stories.

However, he said he will continue highlighting incidents of anti-social behaviour while problems remain.

He added that Wexford is ultimately “a beautiful town” and said he wants to see the issues addressed so that it can continue to thrive.

Mr Moloney, a former local election candidate who established the Wexford Community Forum, says he has taken on the spokesperson role after being approached by retailers and members of the public who want their concerns about Wexford town heard.