John Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking my Commencement matter, which is on a topic of utmost importance. Community groups across the length and breadth of this country have worked collaboratively with An Garda Síochána to establish community text alert schemes, which I know he is very supportive of.

Data published last week indicate that there has been a 45% reduction in burglaries nationally and, thankfully, my own county of Waterford is in line with the national reduction figure. Great praise must go to An Garda Síochána via Operation Thor as the force has put a concerted effort into targeting criminals who prey on the most vulnerable in our society. However, the community text alert schemes have also proved to be a really important weapon in reducing burglaries, particularly in rural Ireland.

The texts that are often issued by local community text alert schemes ask people to be vigilant and watch out for certain types of vehicles in certain areas or circulate invaluable information about a recent crime that has occurred and ask for the help of the public to assist inquiries. The Garda with whom I interact have said that the schemes are very important in tackling crime and assisting them in solving crimes that occur, particularly in rural Ireland. Regretfully, not enough is being done to support these excellent community groups, who provide an invaluable service to their communities. There is a text rebate scheme whereby up to €350 is provided retrospectively the following year but I do not that amount is nearly enough to support the vital costs incurred when running what I think we will all agree is a vital service, and that situation needs to change, as a matter of urgency.

Recently the Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, visited Waterford city and launched the Waterford Local Community Safety Partnership Safety Plan 2023-2028 in city hall. On that occasion, I arranged for him to meet two gentlemen who operate the Dunhill and Ballyduff Lower community text alert scheme. The two gentlemen provided a breakdown of the annual costs involved in running the scheme. It costs between €1,100 and €1,500 per year to provide a community text alert scheme. Community groups do not have control over the number of texts that must be issued. The Garda send texts to community groups, which forward the texts to community alert schemes. The cost each year depends on the number of texts that the Garda ask community groups to issue.

Local authorities support community text alert schemes. The local authorities in my own county provide a community grant of upwards of €400 towards all these schemes but such provision does not happen throughout the country. The €350 rebate is made too late the following year for it to be of any use. There are approximately 1,250 community text alert schemes and I fear that we will lose many of them, which would be unacceptable. I have two asks. First, I ask that community text alert groups receive upfront baseline funding of between €750 and €1,000 either via An Garda Síochána or the Department of Justice. Such provision would cost between €1 million and €1.5 million a year but it would be extraordinarily good value for money.

Second, if it is necessary to continue with the retrospective rebate scheme, it could continue to operate to support the costs incurred, and fill the gap between the support that is provided by local authorities and the Department and the cost to the community. I ask the Minister of State to consider my suggestions.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising the community supports rebate and for tabling this very important Commencement matter.

As he will be aware, the Department of Justice provides funding to Muintir na Tíre to cover the costs incurred by communities in administering the text alert scheme. The scheme is administered on a refund basis whereby communities submit their annual costs to Muintir na Tíre and I am told that a maximum refund of up to €450 is provided to the community.This funding is provided for in the Department of Justice’s crime prevention budget. My Department has made the following payments to Muintir na Tíre: in 2021,€124,060.35 was paid; in 2020, €196,362.80 was paid; and in 2019, €123,911.81 was paid. Muintir na Tíre is compiling the 2022 text alert rebate and the Department will work with it on this. My Department is also engaging with Muintir na Tíre on its review of the text alert scheme with a view to how it is being delivered and to delivering more cost-effective options, such as the use of apps, for future versions of the scheme. I have heard what the Senator has said in his two proposals and I will bring those back to the Department to perhaps form part of that review and to see what considerations can be given, as I understand the Senator's concerns.

As the Senator will be aware, a key pillar of the programme for Government is building stronger and safer communities. The ongoing work of my Department in this area is highlighted in the Rural Safety Plan 2022-2024, which I published at the National Ploughing Championships last September. Under the plan, there is a commitment to the piloting and roll-out of the An Garda Síochána's, See Something, Say Something initiative. This was developed in Kerry Garda division to combat public order and anti-social behaviour using a text alert system. See Something, Say Something allows members of the public to anonymously text the Garda if they see something concerning or suspicious in their local area. That is not in any way to take away from the local community groups, which are doing a fantastic job. I have been advised by the Garda authorities that following positive feedback about this initiative from Kerry, they are working to assess and provide a suitable platform for its further roll-out. No timeline is available yet but my Department is closely engaging with Garda management on this issue as a key part of protecting all of our communities.

I know this is a matter close to the Senator's heart and that he has raised this internally, as well as with the Department, Ministers and Ministers of State. I assure him we will keep this matter under constant review and continue to work with Muintir na Tíre on how the rebate is working.

John Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply but unfortunately, the issue with the rebate scheme, as I see it, is that it operates the following year. There is no baseline support in place for these community text alert groups that provide an invaluable service for their communities. It is April and there has been no rebate scheme for 2022. If we take 2023, for example, texts have been going out for the last four months. There is no baseline support for those community groups for 2023 and it will be April of next year and beyond before they get support for those texts that are going out at this moment in time. Funding of €1 million to €1.5 million to provide baseline support of €750 to €1,000 for each of these groups would be a very small sum of money in the context of the Department of Justice's budget. The value for money that could be provided by such a small sum of money is something I ask the Minister of State to expedite without delay. It does not need Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform sanction or any other sanction; it is something that is within the gift of the Department of Justice and I ask that it is expedited without delay. We all agree on the importance of these groups.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the importance of these groups to our communities and I acknowledge the hard work done by the Senator on this matter. I also acknowledge the financial pressures there can be on local community groups, particularly in respect of the length of time between incurring the cost and the rebate issuing. The system has been in place for some time. As I said, a review has been carried out by Muintir na Tíre and the Department will work with Muintir na Tíre. I heard the Senator’s concerns and I will relay them to the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Department, and have the matter examined.

The Government remains committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fulfil its mission of keeping people safe and this is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion to the Garda in budget 2023, which will support the recruitment of 1,000 gardaí and of a further 400 civilian staff to release gardaí back onto their front-line duties. The Senator may wish to know that the overall reported rate of burglaries in Waterford Garda division is 42.93% lower in 2022 than the pre-pandemic levels in 2019, which shows the fantastic work that has been done by An Garda Síochána in the Waterford area and in operating Operation Thor to tackle those who are committing these crimes.

I thank the Senator again; I will bring his concerns back to the Department and discuss them with my colleague, the Minister for Justice.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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As the Minister responding to Senator Murphy's Commencement matter is not here yet, with the permission of the House, I will move on to the third Commencement matter in the name of Senator Martin.