To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any preventative measures being developed, alongside enforcement powers, to reduce persistent anti-social behaviour.

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), including street drinking can have a significant impact on communities.

Responses to a joint DoJ and Department for Communities (DfC) public consultation on ASB legislation, including issues of street drinking, were published in April 2025 and suggested a need for legislative reform.

Through subsequent work on ASB, and the cross-cutting issue of street drinking, my officials have been working with DfC, DAERA PSNI, and engaged an ASB Working Group comprised of statutory partners and representatives from the community and voluntary sectors to produce recommendations for potential legislative change. My Department has committed to conducting an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) on all proposals with a view to bringing forward legislation in the next Assembly mandate, subject to Executive and Assembly approval.

In terms of preventative measures, Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs), funded by my Department and the Northern Ireland Policing Board, play a key role in the Department’s operational response to community safety and ASB across all communities in Northern Ireland. PCSPs liaise with local communities and other key partners, including local statutory bodies/agencies and the voluntary and community sector, to develop appropriate actions to deal with, and reduce, the impact of ASB.