Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, to the House. I have been asked to bring this matter to his attention by Councillor Paddy McQuillan of Louth County Council. As the Minister of State knows, in 2020 Mr. Vivian Geiran carried out a scoping exercise in Drogheda as a direct result of the gang feud that had terrorised the town. He spoke to all relevant agencies and bodies directly and indirectly involved with the feud. The comprehensive report was finalised and submitted to the Department in January 2021. The report put forward over 70 recommendations to improve the community safety and well-being of the citizens of the town. The report was publicly released by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, on 26 March, when she stated that, "Over the next few weeks engagement will continue with relevant departments with a view to finalising the implementation plan by the end of April." Councillor McQuillan is very disappointed that there has been no real move on this implementation plan. We are now at the first day of June and I would be grateful if the Minister of State could update me on the current status of the report and its lengthy list of recommendations.

The implementation of this report is essential to improving the safety, well-being and development of Drogheda. The first and most important recommendation of the report is that the high-level oversight group, consisting of members of seven Departments, is responsible for signing off on an agreed plan of action. I would like to know if it has been signed off and an agreed action plan put in place. I understand that the chief superintendent has stated that he has a team in place ready to go but has not had any contact from the Government to date. Other agencies directly involved are also anxiously waiting to engage on the recommendations.

While the commissioning of the report was welcomed by the people of Drogheda, it will have been a wasted exercise if it is not acted upon soon. I have been assured that the people of Drogheda do not want to see this report sitting in the Department gathering dust while people’s lives continue to be seriously affected by the ongoing problems. With the summer recess getting closer there is real concern locally that failure to implement the very first recommendation augers badly for the remaining 69 recommendations. As the Minister of State can appreciate, local groups are really anxious to get going on this report and its recommendations. We must remember this activity is seriously affecting citizens' everyday life, safety and well-being. Time is of the essence and I hope in all sincerity the Minister of State will have answers to the three questions that I have posed today.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter concerning Drogheda. The Scoping Report into Community Safety and Well-being in Drogheda was commissioned by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, in 2020 following a number of violent incidents in Drogheda. The purpose of the scoping report was to gather and assess information relating to ongoing challenges and community needs in Drogheda, and to identify actions to support communities and connect relevant services. Mr. Vivian Geiran, a former director of the Probation Service, was engaged to prepare the report, which makes over 70 recommendations on short- and long-term responses to challenges the community faces, including around crime prevention, youth services, drug addiction, education, infrastructure and community development. The recommendations highlight the need for improved interagency co-operation in the administration and delivery of State services in Drogheda, as well as the need to resource public services or provide additional services in certain areas in particular.

The scoping report was approved for publication by the Government on 13 March 2021 and published on 26 March. Briefings were organised by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the following week for community groups and services that had met with Mr. Geiran, as well as for Deputies, Senators and councillors from County Louth. The implementation plan for the key recommendations arising from the report is currently being developed and will identify the relevant stakeholders for each recommendation and outline next steps for engagement. Engagement with all relevant Departments, agencies and the Louth County Council is ongoing to ensure a comprehensive implementation plan. For example, early action has been taken to engage with the Department of Education on the provision of additional supports to the three schools identified in the report. Engagement has taken place at official level and the Department of Education is positive about providing additional supports to schools in the area, including those identified in the report. Additionally, engagement has taken place with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with regard to addressing the impact on Drogheda of the county boundaries of counties Louth and Meath. My officials are also in direct contact with Red Door, the HSE, the Department of Health and the local drugs and alcohol task force to advance the recommendations around funding to addiction-related support services in the community. This engagement is necessary to ensure funding is maximised and to avoid duplication in the delivery of services.

With regard to the co-ordination mechanism proposed by Mr. Geiran in his report, the Department is currently in discussions with relevant Departments and agencies, as well as Louth County Council, to develop a proposal for a co-ordination structure that will enable engaged participation from relevant stakeholders while being in line with the Government's wider approach to community safety and community development. This engagement will continue with a view to finalising the implementation plan in the coming weeks for submission to Cabinet, with publication occurring shortly thereafter.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. In a town like Drogheda, or indeed in any town or city in Ireland where such problems are identified, immediate action is what the citizens must see. They must see action on the ground. I appreciate the Minister of State has outlined a number of engagements that are taking place but real action must be seen publicly to be taking place. Citizens in a place like Drogheda do not necessarily understand that all of this administrative work, engagement and meeting must take place. What they really must see is action. Living in a dangerous situation like that, they need to know the Government is with them. I therefore ask the Minister of State to expedite whatever is going on. I thank him for taking the time to come here and debate this matter.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As I noted in my opening remarks, it is paramount we ensure that whatever co-ordination structure is put in place in Drogheda links in with the Government's wider approach to community development and community safety. The Department has developed a policy on community safety which has informed the general scheme of the policy and community safety Bill, which proposes local community safety partnerships to ensure co-ordination on safety issues at a local authority level. In addition, we are working with the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Department of Health to ensure community well-being focused initiatives are complementary not duplicative and to enable stakeholders and service providers to actively participate in an efficient and effective way. We will ensure the strong emphasis on co-ordination in the Drogheda scoping report is reflected in the implementation plan in a way that is sustainable for the community in Drogheda, going forward.

I assure the Senator we are absolutely determined to get this right for Drogheda. The report is very comprehensive and very detailed. However, we want to ensure the implementation plan is not a few short-term, one-hit wonders, if I can put it like that, but is instead sustainable to ensure the core issues in Drogheda are addressed in the medium and long term. The fact the plan will also be brought back to Cabinet shows the seriousness with which the matter is being taken.