Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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266. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide details of the annual average cost of a Community Safety Partnership; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42253/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Protecting our citizens is much wider than policing, and I want to empower communities to have a say in matters relating to their own safety. It is important to note that the new approach to community safety is a whole of Government approach.

Local Community Safety Partnerships which are being established under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, will operate at local authority level, 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.

Each partnership will be supported by a dedicated Community Safety Co-ordinator (Grade VII Administrative Officer) and an Administrator (Grade IV Assistant Staff Officer). Both of these permanent positions will be funded by the Department of Justice and sit within each Local Authority. My Department will also fund the costs of both operating and staffing a new National Office for Community Safety. This Office will be responsible for providing support, training, and guidance to Local Community Safety Partnerships.

We are seeking to reposition community safety as the provision of relevant social services. Therefore, it is important that partnerships engage with the relevant service providers to source funding for the projects and initiatives they each identify as central to community safety in their area. This way, we can plan for the longer term and ensure that the funding necessary to support community safety initiatives is embedded in relevant service providers' financial allocations; and avoid, where possible, the short term funding of successful projects.

As part of Budget 2025, I secured €9.5 million for nationwide Community Safety Partnerships; the establishment of a National Office for Community Safety; and the Community Safety Fund.