15. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to clarify how resourcing of community safety partnerships is targeted, based on the varying needs of local areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20879/26]

Sentiment score: 0.25

Around the country, we have finished up with the old joint policing committee model and are moving to community partnerships. Could the Minister comment on the resourcing of community partnerships around the country and, in particular, how those resources are targeted to the varying needs of different areas?

Sentiment score: 0.00

I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive reply. There are two community safety partnerships in my constituency. One of them, the Dublin central local community safety partnership, is a long-established partnership that was part of the original pilot. My Green Party colleague, Councillor Janet Horner, sits on that partnership. Given that it has been in place for a number of years, we can make two points. First, there is no specific budget for this community partnership and, second, there is no specific funding commitment from the statutory agencies which sit on it and which the Minister of State listed. These partnerships are understood as being an innovation and a change from the joint policing committees that I would have sat on back in the day. The concern is that if there is no specific budget directly for the safety partnership, or no specific commitment from those statutory bodies that are sitting on it, this limits the ability of the community safety partnership to deliver for the citizens in that area.

Sentiment score: 0.37

I am delighted to hear there is €8 million for the central office. I have no doubt the councillors and the statutory bodies, particularly the local community representatives, would have a very clear idea as to how a proportion of that money could be spent well locally. I would say it is the same whether we are talking about Cabra or west Limerick. My concern centres on what has been described as a very transformative approach to how we address community safety, and how we link the Garda and local authorities with those statutory bodies. A lot of political capital has been expended on making this change from the joint policing committee model to the community safety partnership model, yet the key deliverable, which is having some element of resources and finance to deliver on the recommendations for a very specific community, is not there. That is a worry. Can these bodies deliver if they do not have the financial resources to implement their initiatives?

Sentiment score: 0.14