My Department is committed to protecting all communities, especially those most affected by crime, to implementing policies designed to prevent our young people from falling into crime and, where they do, to providing them with a pathway to a better future free from crime.
It is important to say Ireland is, for the most part, a very safe place to live. According to the Garda Síochána public attitudes survey results published last week, less than 20% of those surveyed perceived crime in their local area as being a serious problem, and public trust in An Garda Síochána remains extremely high at 91%. While this level of support is unprecedented internationally, there is no room for complacency. There are clearly communities that are disadvantaged and where decent law-abiding residents are subjected to levels of crime that are not typical of the overall national situation. Those communities, whether it is in Darndale, Drogheda or Cherry Orchard, to mention a few, deserve our support and are getting it.
To support youth justice services and to ensure delivery of key objectives in the youth justice strategy, the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, secured an additional allocation of €6.7 million in budget 2022 and a further €2.5 million in 2023. This funding allows for expansion of services offered to young people by the youth diversion projects, which are funded by my Department. Three innovative pilot community safety schemes have also been trialled in Dublin's north inner city, Waterford and Longford. These pilot schemes are to run for 24 months with a view to then rolling them out nationwide. In addition, the community safety innovation fund was established in April 2021 to reinvest money seized from the proceeds of crime into community safety projects. A total of €2 million was awarded in funding across 22 projects, and a further €3 million in funding has been secured already under budget 2023.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
Justice Plan 2022 commits to working to break the link between gangs and the children they seek to recruit, and we will continue to roll out the evidence-based community intervention programme "Greentown", which seeks to break the link between children who are engaged or at risk of engaging with a criminal gang. Additionally, in line with the commitment in the programme for Government and the youth justice strategy, my Department has this month launched a public consultation on appropriate diversion processes for young adults aged 18 to 24 who come into contact with the criminal justice system. It is well recognised internationally that more considered responses by justice systems for this age group may produce better results.
My Department is progressing the criminal justice (exploitation of children in the commission of offences) Bill, which aims to deal with those criminal elements who exploit children to advance their criminal activities. This Bill will criminalise adults who induce or groom children into committing offences, and I hope to bring it to Government for publication later this month.