Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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100. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the new local partnership projects for community safety which were announced in November 2020; her plans for further resourcing and funding of the projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36696/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Government approved the publication of the general scheme of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill which, as recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, redefines policing to include prevention of harm to those who are vulnerable and supports the human rights of all people throughout Ireland to be and feel safe in their communities. It does this by making prevention of harm, protection of people who are vulnerable or at risk, and the safety of communities a whole of government responsibility.

In order to achieve this, innovative Local Community Safety Partnerships will be established which will replace and build upon the existing Joint Policing Committees and provide a forum for State agencies and local communities to work together. The model is built on the principle that the community needs to be central in identifying what it needs and helping to shape solutions, so each Partnership will devise and oversee a Local Community Safety Plan, tailored to the priorities and needs identified by the communities themselves.

Minister McEntee announced the establishment of three Partnerships on a pilot basis, which will run for the next two years in Waterford, Longford and the north inner city of Dublin. I am glad to say that independent chairpersons have now been appointed to each pilot Partnership and I am very grateful to the chairs for their public spirit and service to their communities. The Deputy will be pleased to know that the Waterford Partnership held an engagement session with the local community on 30 June.

As the pilots progress, they will be fully evaluated and any necessary changes made to ensure the partnerships work as effectively as possible for the communities involved. The pilots will inform the further development of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, which will facilitate the national rollout of Local Community Safety Partnerships in every local authority area.

The Deputy may also be aware that Minister McEntee and Minister McGrath have agreed, in principle, to establish a new Community Safety Innovation Fund. The scheme, when established, will allocate funds to community safety projects and other policy initiatives in the area, including to support the work of the Local Community Safety Partnerships.