Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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591. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the work her Department has undertaken with respect to the recommendations on community policing contained in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing: The Future of Policing in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8113/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government,Our Shared Future, commits to the rapid implementation of the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI). My objective is to deliver a new approach to policing and community safety, increasing police visibility in communities and focusing on preventing crime and harm, and delivering a professional, ethical, modern and effective police and security service that is well-managed, cost-effective, properly trained and equipped, and is clearly accountable.

I will shortly bring the draft scheme of a new Policing and Community Safety Bill to Government. The Bill has been developed based on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing.

The Bill has five main objectives to improve the performance of our policing and security services to deliver our commitment that every community has a right to be and feel safe. This legislation will:

1. Make community safety an all of government responsibility

2. Strengthen independent, external oversight of An Garda Síochána

3. Strengthen the governance of An Garda Síochána

4. Improve the oversight of our national security infrastructure

5. Establish and prioritise the creation of Local Community Safety Partnerships

To deliver on our objective that every community has a right to be safe, we will put safety and perception of safety of communities at the heart of this legislation. Ensuring that a community can get the right support at the right time is important if we want to tackle crime with a coherent approach. This means ensuring that the non-crime related activity of harm prevention, such as providing services to people with mental health and addiction conditions, homeless people, children, elderly and others at risk, is properly addressed.

In the Bill, the prevention of harm will be a specific objective of An Garda Síochána recognising the vital work Gardaí do on the ground every day. Furthermore, promoting safer communities through preventing crime and harm - particularly to individuals who are vulnerable or at risk - will be a shared responsibility involving other Departments and agencies such as health and social services, local authorities and the wider community working together.

I can further inform the Deputy that my Department has developed a Community Safety Policy, based on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, and which has informed the drafting of the Policing and Community Safety Bill.

Local Community Safety Partnerships are the new local structures proposed in the Community Safety Policy. These Partnerships will operate at local authority administrative level and replace and build upon Joint Policing Committees. They will be made up of local representatives, local services, community representatives and residents. Local Community Safety Partnerships will take a strategic approach to their work so that issues arising can be dealt with in a coordinated manner, and addressed collectively by relevant service providers in partnership with the community. Pilot partnerships are to be launched in Dublin's North Inner City Electoral Area, Waterford and Longford.