Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. To create safe communities, we must go beyond policing alone, we must work together in partnership. We must take a strategic, solution-focused approach that is proactive rather than reactive. Local community safety partnerships represent a significant step towards a more collaborative, responsive, and locally driven model of public safety. I am pleased that members have been appointed to eight local community safety partnerships. Further members will be appointed across October and November with a view to establishing all safety partnerships by the end of the year. I know in my own local authority area of Limerick City and County Council, at this month's municipal and metropolitan area meetings they are discussing and populating the LCSP.

The first meeting of an LCSP took place in Wexford on 30 September, when members elected their own chair and vice chair.It is anticipated that the other partnerships will hold their first meetings in the coming weeks. I will get the Senator clear guidance on the election or appointment of the chairpersons but I know that local authorities did ask for expressions of interest, at least in Limerick. I am sure other local authorities put out a call for expressions of interest from people who would be interested in being considered for election as chairperson.

The LCSPs are designed to empower communities by giving residents, local groups and businesses a meaningful voice in shaping local safety initiatives. They will play a major role in enhancing public safety alongside An Garda Síochána, residents, businesses and State agencies. The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which the Minister commenced on 2 April 2025, provides for the establishment of local community safety partnerships, which will operate at each local authority level. The regulations for these safety partnerships came into operation on Monday, 30 June and a total of 36 LCSPs can now be established. Each safety partnership will be led by a voluntary chair and supported by a full-time co-ordinator and administrator. The chair will be elected from, and by, the membership of the partnership. The role of chairperson is pivotal to the partnerships achieving their full potential.

Guidance and support in the process of establishing LCSPs is being given by the National Office for Community Safety and by LCSP co-ordinators and administrators, who are full-time staff based in the relevant local authority and resourced by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. These full-time permanent staff posts are resourced by the Department and employed by the relevant local authority. In preparation for the establishment of the partnerships, local authorities have been recruiting these staff and so far, 27 co-ordinators and 20 administrators have been appointed across the country. The appointment of members to further safety partnerships across the country will follow in the coming weeks. We only draw on our experience from our own area, but I know that local members of An Garda Síochána have been attending local municipal area meetings individually outside the function of the safety partnerships.