Residents of a gated community for elderly people in Dublin say they are too scared to leave their homes after dark due to crime and antisocial behaviour in the complex.

Claddagh Court in Ballyfermot is a gated community for older people run by Dublin City Council (DCC).

Recently, residents have accused DCC of putting their safety and general well-being at risk through ongoing neglect.

In a report on The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Newstalk reporter Sarah Madden spoke to some of the residents about their fears over security and anti-social behaviour.

77-year-old resident Seamus (Shay) Moriarty said broken complex gates mean anyone can access the area.

“When we complained about it, they said they were sent to Germany for repairs," he said.

“There’s places on the Naas Road that would come down and do it for you, you don’t have to go to Germany - it’s four months like that now.

"It's an open house, anybody can come in here."

Broken gates at Claddagh Court. Image: Sarah Madden/Newstalk.

Mr Moriarty said anti-social behaviour in the complex has left some residents scared to even put their bins out.

He himself was threatened by a visitor who was improperly parked in a resident's space.

"This day [last] week, I was trying to get into my car," he said.

"There was a non resident parked in here, and I couldn't get in.

"When I knocked at the door of the apartment he was in, I was told to use the passenger door of my own car.

"It led to an argument - I was told to be thrown over the balcony."

Grounds at Claddagh Court. Image: Newstalk/Sarah Madden.

Traffic cone and red tape on the grounds of Claddagh Court. Image: Newstalk/Sarah Madden.

According to Mr Moriarty, when residents report issues to DCC, they are advised instead to call the Guards.

“This is a tenancy issue,” he said.

“It's nothing to do with the Guards – it's our landlords.

“It's Dublin City Council that need to look after it, [but] they're not, and they never will.

“What's happening here now is bordering on abuse - if not abuse.

“A lot of people that came in first, they paid a massive amount of money to sell off their homes to get in here, and they were promised as a safe, secure and clean complex.”

Claddagh Court resident Seamus (Shay) Moriarty on the left, and resident Thomas Gannon on the right. Image: Newstalk/Sarah Madden.

Mr Moriarty and fellow resident 72-year-old Thomas Gannon are now withholding their rent until plans are put in place to resolve these issues.

“We’re not refusing to pay, but we held it back because we‘re not getting any satisfaction,” said Mr Gannon.

“We’ve come up with a new plan – if they don’t do the work for us, we’ve taken out of our rent and we go ahead ourselves."

Mr Moriarty said he feels this is the only solution left available to him.