James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I was delighted to launch the Rural Safety Plan 2022-2024 at this year's Ploughing Championships in Co. Laois.

People and communities in rural Ireland deserve to feel safe and to be safe. Community Safety is is a whole of Government responsibility and it requires a multi-agency approach if it is to be truly effective.

The Rural Safety Plan is the result of strong collaboration between all the relevant organisations and brings together the excellent work already underway in relation to rural safety. The Plan is not intended to replace, but rather supplement, this work.

The vision of the Rural Safety Plan is for people and communities in rural Ireland to feel safe and be safe in their homes, their places of work, and their local environments.

The Plan identifies 5 main priorities in relation to rural safety. They are:

1. Community Safety

2. Burglary and Theft

3. Roads Policing

4. Animal Crime

5. Heritage Crime.

The Plan outlines the key actions underway in these priority areas in an informative and accessible way and also provides useful contacts for partner organisations, groups committed to supporting victims of crime, and organisations that share the Department of Justice’s aim of advancing the safety of our people.

Some of the objectives set out in the Plan, such as the launch of An Garda Síochána's new property recording app, have already been achieved. Others will be progressed through the lifetime of the Plan and beyond.

I want to recognise the wide-ranging and impactful work to further people’s safety and welfare that is being undertaken in rural communities across the country. Much of this work is undertaken by dedicated volunteers who admirably commit so much of their time to the benefit of our communities and our country.

For the Deputy's information the Plan is available at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/3502e-rural-safety-plan-2022-2024/#:~:text=The%20vision%20of%20the%20Rural,in%20relation%20to%20rural%20safety.