Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2024
465. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice when joint policing committees should cease meetings given the proposed transition to community safety partnerships; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9952/24]
View answer466. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice her plans to ensure a smooth transition from joint policing committees to community safety partnerships; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9953/24]
View answer467. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice when the community safety partnerships will be formed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9954/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 465, 466 and 467 together.
My Department's community safety policy is about people being safe and, importantly, feeling safe in their own communities. This whole-of-government Community Safety Strategy aims to address issues relating to community safety by bringing together the relevant social service providers and the Gardaí to work together with the community in a collaborative manner by focusing on tackling the concerns identified by the local community itself.
The Local Community Safety Partnerships are provided for in Part 3 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 which will be commenced during 2024. The Partnerships will operate at local authority level and they will replace Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). The Partnerships will have a wider membership than JPCs and will include residents, local councillors, community representatives (including representatives of young people, older people, new and minority communities), business and education representatives and a range of public services including the HSE, Tusla, AGS and the local authority.
Pilot partnerships have been running in Longford, Waterford and Dublin's North Inner City, and each has published a local community safety plan, which are available on the respective local authority websites. The plans set out a number of agreed actions to be undertaken by the members of the partnerships to enhance community safety in that area. The independent chairs of the pilot partnerships are overseeing the delivery of those agreed actions.
An independent evaluation has been running since the pilot partnerships commenced, and the report of the evaluation is now being finalised. Findings of the evaluation will be used to inform the national roll-out of Local Community Safety Partnerships.
To ensure there is continuity as Local Community Safety Partnerships are stood up around the country, transitional arrangements will be put in place for JPC meetings to take place where LCSPs have not yet been established in any area.
