Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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100. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if 20 local policing fora have been established and are in operation, as targeted in the national drugs strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16066/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that Action 2 of the National Drug Strategy provides a commitment to the establishment of local policing fora in all local drug task force areas.

Further to that commitment an audit of local policing fora was undertaken by my Department in conjunction with local drug task forces in April 2012. This exercise identified 24 local policing fora operating at that time across the 14 local drug task force areas.

As the Deputy may be aware, such fora are locally established structures which provide a mechanism through which the community, An Garda Síochána, the Local Authority and other local stakeholders can come together to improve communication, share appropriate information and identify issues of concern in relation to policing, anti-social behaviour and estate management.

While such fora do not formally report to my Department, I have requested that officials in my Department liaise with relevant agencies to provide a further update to the Deputy.