Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Community engagement is key and it must be more than just phrases on a ministerial brief. I acknowledge Joe Doherty, based in Ballina, who has just retired as a superintendent in the Mayo division. Community engagement was essential to his form of policing. I thank him for his service. A prior discussion focused on the community safety partnerships. I am concerned. I am a fan of the joint policing committees. They work and involve rural communities, through their local elected representatives, be they councillors or Members of the Oireachtas, having a say about policing issues in their areas. It is about the connection. I need assurance that that connection will not be lost in these new community safety partnerships. The joint policing committees, especially in large counties such as mine, have worked well. They worked well too when they were under the town council structure, keeping an eye on the towns. I am concerned that the move to these new community safety partnerships will take away another part of the supports for rural communities in respect of their day-to-day policing.

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