Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

The Minister for Justice has assured this House that his Department is finalising the regulations necessary for the local community safety partnerships to function. We really need to get them up and running as soon as possible.

Dublin West is a big place. Key to the effectiveness of the local community safety partnerships is that they are indeed local. The problems facing Clonsilla are very different from those facing Corduff. Local communities have to be able to identify and solve those problems. I urge the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice to ensure there is flexibility to set up subgroups for specific local villages like Ongar, Tyrellstown, Clonsilla, Carpenterstown and so on.

There is a budget behind this work. The community safety fund is a brilliant initiative putting the proceeds from crime back into communities. However, it is only €4 million. Not all solutions are going to fall neatly under existing funding streams. I ask the Taoiseach to confirm that the new regulations will take that into account?

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