Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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30. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the planning which has been put in place to roll out the community safety plans; the approach which will be taken to their creation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26493/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Community safety is about people being safe and, importantly, feeling safe in their own communities. At the heart of this policy is the principle that every community has the right to be and feel safe in order to thrive and flourish.

Our approach to community safety is a whole-of-Government one. We want to bring the relevant social service providers and the Gardaí together with the community in a collaborative manner, by focusing on the concerns identified by the local community itself.

The Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs) are provided for in Part 3 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which was signed into law by the President in February 2024. It is my intention that the LCSPs will be rolled out across Ireland later this year. Work is underway to ensure local coordinators are appointed for each prospective partnership and that a chair is selected.

In preparation for the national rollout of LCSPs, an Expression of Interest process will be undertaken by each Local Authority to identify a suitable Chairperson for each Local Community Safety Partnership over the course of the summer. I am hopeful that many communities will start to see Local Community Safety Partnerships established in their areas over the coming months.

The Partnerships will operate at local authority level and they will replace Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). The Partnerships will have a wider membership than JPCs and will include residents, local councillors, community representatives (including representatives of young people, older people, new and minority communities), business and education representatives and a range of public services including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and the local authority.

Pilot partnerships have been running in Longford, Waterford and Dublin's North Inner City, and each has published a local community safety plan, which are available on the respective local authority websites. The plans set out a number of agreed actions to be undertaken by the members of the partnerships to enhance community safety in that area. Each newly established LCSP will be required to develop and implement its own tailored community safety plan and will take a strategic approach to their work so that issues arising can be dealt with in a coordinated manner; addressed collectively by relevant service providers in partnership with the community.

I will also be establishing a National Office for Community Safety, which will have responsibility for delivering the objectives of the national strategy. The National Office will provide training, guidance and other support to the Local Community Safety Partnerships.