'Unacceptable' delays from Justice Minister on community safety partnerships
It is ‘totally unacceptable’ that the new local community safety partnerships (LCSPs) have yet to be established in Dublin, according to a local Councillor.
Sinn Fein Cllr Daithi Doolan has called out the Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan for ‘dragging his heels’ on establishing the new groups set to replace the previous Joint Policing Committees (JPCs.) He bemoaned the fact that there have been no policing partnerships in place for the past year and half.
“The Minister for Justice must establish the long-awaited local community safety partnerships before the Dáil goes on Christmas holidays,” Cllr Doolan demanded. “There have been no policing partnerships in place since before the last local election. That was 18 months ago. This is totally unacceptable.”
Jim O'Callaghan signed legislation last June to replace JPCs with LCSPs in all 36 local authority areas around the country. With representatives from An Garda Siochana, the Health Service Executive and the child and family agency Tusla, these aim to offer an opportunity for local representatives and community members to collaborate with these bodies directly.
LCDPs offer broader membership than the previous partnerships and can feature up to 30 members including younger and older people, as well as businesses. However, despite pilot schemes, they have yet to be officially established in Dublin City Council.
“We have had pilot schemes, reports, debates and promises. But still the minister drags his heels and delays the establishment of the new community partnerships. This is simply not good enough. Communities need and deserve policing partnerships that hold the powers that be to account and deliver badly needed community safety,” Cllr Doolan explained.
“Partnership meetings are essential for residents to have issues of public safety addressed. We cannot simply police our way to safer communities, but the Gardaí are central to the solution and it must be done in partnership with the community, local authorities, agencies and youth services. Without the partnerships none of this will happen.”
Cllr Doolan raised this issue at yesterday’s South Central Area Community meeting and was assured that the council are ready to convene their local community safety partnerships and that “all the community and agency reps for the new partnerships have been agreed.”
“We are just waiting for the minister to sign off on those selected to allow us to proceed. Community safety may not be a priority for the minister, but it is a priority for the communities we live in and represent. We demand immediate action from the minister,” Cllr Doolan added.
The managerial response from Dublin City Council stated they have a coordinator appointed to each of the five areas and have recently got the assignment of the administrators. The council appointments should made in January and the nominations for elected and statutory members have all been sent to the minister.
Once the names are confirmed, introductory meet and greets will be held. From there, the chairpersons will be elected. The council hopes this will happen in early January, but they are reluctant to send out meeting invitations for December until the minister has confirmed the nominations.
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