THREE of the Department of Justice's controversial Asbos have finally been issued more than 18 months after the system was first introduced.

However, it has emerged that gardaí are having difficulty in convincing judges of their merit as half of all applications have been refused.

Figures from the Department of Justice reveal that gardaí have gone to court three times seeking behaviour orders against adults – but twice they were refused.

Three children have also been taken before a judge to have a behaviour order registered, but only one application has been refused.

The Department of Justice said: "The intention was that these warnings or good behaviour contracts would themselves address the problem behaviour.

"It is only if they fail that a court order will be applied for. Where warnings or good behaviour contracts do not succeed in altering a person's behaviour, they will culminate in an order being sought by the Garda authorities from the courts."

Gardaí said they had foreseen the possibility of judges refusing the Asbos and it is believed the three failed behaviour orders were struck out on technicalities.

One senior garda said: "It is a complicated system and a new system so like anything it is open to challenge from clever solicitors."

Nearly 1,500 warnings have been issued under the scheme since it was introduced in early 2007.

A total of 907 adults have been given "behaviour warnings", which means the next step will be an Asbo. A further 548 "behaviour warnings" have been issued to children while 12 so-called "good behaviour contracts" have also been agreed.

Many gardaí remain sceptical about the scheme, which is reflected in figures that show some regions have hardly used them at all.

According to figures obtained by the Sunday Tribune, no warnings had been issued in either Co Wicklow or Co Wexford by the end of last summer.

Dublin West, on the other hand, was responsible for more than a quarter of all the warnings issued nationwide.

The project, which opponents have accused of being poorly thought out, is also not compatible with the garda's €70m computer network Pulse.