James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Naughten for this very important question, which relates to supporting policing in our rural communities. Community safety is a top priority for my Department. Everyone has the right to be safe and feel safe in their community, and rural Ireland is no exception in that regard. Our approach to community safety is a whole-of-government one. Enhancing rural safety includes everything from having more visible gardaí in the community to providing safe public spaces and amenities. That is why we are bringing the relevant social service providers, including An Garda Síochána together with the community in a collaborative manner, by focusing on the concerns identified by the local community itself.

Three pilot local community safety partnerships, LCSP, have been running since 2021, including one in Longford, and each has published a local community safety plan, available on the respective local authority websites. Funding was provided to the Longford LCSP pilot in 2022 through the community safety innovation fund for the Cornerstone project, which sought to implement a number of safety initiatives in the area that were based on extensive community consultation.

Nobody understands the safety concerns of a community better than the people who live in that community. The purpose of the community safety plan is to allow each community to identity the safety concerns that are relevant to their locality and to agree on collective actions to solve those issues. I am hopeful that many communities will start to see LCSPs established in their areas over the coming weeks. Assessment panels for the role of chairperson in a number of local authority areas are taking place currently. Nominations for the first chairpersons are under consideration.

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