Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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106. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the resources provided by her Department to local joint policing committees in 2015 and 2016; and the amount being provided in 2017. [39761/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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It is important to note that the JPCs were established to act as a forum to improve collaboration and engagement rather than a new administrative function with corresponding budgets and other resources. There are already substantial resources deployed to addressing local policing and community safety issues and the JPCs are intended to enhance how these resources are deployed, not to supplement them.

Each agency involved in the Committees is generally expected to meet the expenses arising for itself in establishing and operating the Committees from within its own budget. As the Deputy is aware, the Government has allocated very substantial increases in Garda resources, underpinned by the commitment to increase Garda number to 15,000 overall. These investments will support all policing activities including community engagement and Garda participation on consultative fora, including Joint Policing Committees.