Debate resumed on the following motion: That Seanad Éireann:? notes the importance of initiatives taken in many areas by local authorities, voluntary organisations and business groupings to improve the quality of life in local communities; ? notes in particular the existence of initiatives like that adopted in the UK by the Association of Town Centre Management (purpleflag.org.uk), whereby town centres and city districts seek to achieve certain indicators to ensure that an area is safe for people to walk at night and constitutes a pleasant place to be, with good levels of cleanliness and security generally; ? notes that it is envisaged that a similar initiative will also be piloted in Ireland and encourages the Government to support the wider use of such initiatives in order to make our town centres and city districts more attractive for residents, visitors and tourists; ? notes that initiatives like these, together with strong levels of community policing and provision of community services can contribute immensely to improving the quality of life for local communities. In light of the restructuring of the Garda Station and District network throughout the country, notes the increased resources that have been made available for Garda transport and asks that adequate provisions are made to ensure the continuation of an efficient and effective policing service to all communities including to elderly people living in remote locations;? notes that Neighbour Watch and Community Alert schemes should be initiated in rural areas where they are currently absent and that lapsed schemes should be assisted to re-establish themselves through interventions from the Gardai; ? notes the need to preserve Garda numbers at a level sufficient to provide the most effective and efficient policing service to all communities across the country, and the need for a full engagement with local communities in the delivery of that service; ? notes the commitment of An Garda Síochána to community policing and proactive engagement through Community Alert, Neighbourhood Watch, business associations and other groups; ? notes the forum provided by Joint Policing Committees for engagement between An Garda Síochána, local authorities and communities on local policing issues; ? notes the considerable efforts underway to tackle crime through such operations as Operation Fiacla, introduced last year to tackle burglary around the country and which resulted in the arrest of 3,538 persons and 1,924 persons charged between April and December 2012; ? notes the very limited powers of local authorities under Irish law to compel any actions on private lands, even where gross negligence or nuisance is alleged, and notes that in England, by contrast, legislation gives councils power in particular to enter on private lands and to compel action on private lands; and calls on the Government to consider the implications of giving powers of intervention to local authorities where poor management, negligence or nuisance is alleged to have arisen on private lands; ? welcomes the adoption, by public services including local authorities, of initiatives which provide support to businesses, to ensure greatly improved communities for tourists and residents alike; and ? calls on the Government to support the development of initiatives to improve the quality of life. -(Senator Denis Landy).