Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1648. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of local authorities that have established local community safety partnerships (LCSPs) to date; the number of local authorities due to establish LCSPs; the funding allocated to LCSPs to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21054/25]

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1649. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of community safety coordinators in place; the regions they cover; if he will provide a breakdown of annual costs associated with the position of community safety coordinator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21055/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1648 and 1649 together.

The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which I commenced on Wednesday 2 April 2025, provides for the establishment of Local Community Safety Partnerships within each local authority area.

A key principle of the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland is that community safety requires multi-agency cooperation working in partnership with An Garda Síochána and crucially with communities themselves. The Commission's report recommended the establishment of national and local structures to bring together Departments and State agencies involved in harm prevention to promote community safety.

Local Community Safety Partnerships will replace and build upon the good work of the Joint Policing Committees, supplementing this by bringing together a broader range of relevant stakeholders including local councillors, An Garda Síochána, local residents, community representatives, business and education representatives, and a range of statutory agencies including the HSE, Tusla and each local authority.

Each of the 36 Local Community Safety Partnerships due to be established will be required to develop and implement its own tailored community safety plan. The 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 local community.

In preparation for the national rollout, three Pilot Partnerships are ongoing in Waterford, Longford and Dublin North Inner City since 2021. Each pilot LCSP brought together community members, local representatives and statutory representatives and successfully produced a community safety plan with specific projects and actions to improve community safety. The Pilot Partnerships were subject to independent monitoring and evaluation with baseline, interim and final reports published. The learning from these pilots is being used to inform the national roll out of LCSPs.

Section 114 of the PSCS Act provides for the making of regulations to establish the Local Community Safety Partnerships. I expect these regulations to be finalised in the coming weeks which will enable the rollout of the Partnerships nationally.

Each LCSP will be led by a chair and supported by a coordinator and administrator. These full-time coordinators and administrators are resourced by the Department of Justice and employed by the relevant local authority. In preparation for the establishment of the Partnerships, local authorities have been recruiting these staff and a number have been appointed across the country.

The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act also provides for a National Office for Community Safety. It is a function of this Office to provide training, guidance and support to the Partnerships. The National Office team are engaging directly with local authorities and other stakeholders to support the establishment of the Partnerships.