James O'Connor
Ceist:120. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on his work to tackle anti-social behaviour in communities. [68333/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 4 December 2025
Ceisteanna (120)
Freagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to the principle that everyone, wherever they live in Ireland, should feel safe and be safe. Building safe and secure communities across the country by investing in An Garda Síochána is a top priority for this Government. I want every part of the country to be a safe space for people to live and work in.
Anti-social behaviour is a broad term often used to describe a range of actions and behaviours that violate social norms in specific contexts. I am conscious of the very damaging impact on the quality of life it can have in our communities.
The Government is committed to tackling the scourge of anti-social behaviour and crime to build safer streets and stronger communities through a number of ongoing measures, including:
• Getting more Gardaí on our streets through increased recruitment;
• The introduction of Local Community Safety Partnerships around the country, to develop tailored Community Safety Plans for every area;
• Continued expansion of youth justice and youth diversion measures;
• New laws which criminalise the grooming of children into a life of crime;
• The deployment of body-worn cameras, with nationwide roll-out to follow the current pilot project;
• Proposing solutions to public order and anti-social behaviour through the Local Leadership Programme which brings together local stakeholders in a structured manner;
• Over €4 million allocated to 42 projects through the Community Safety Fund, which re-invests the proceeds of crime into local safety projects.
A number of actions are also contained in the Programme for Government to reduce instances of anti-social behaviour. These include a commitment to enact legislation to combat anti-social behaviour through enhanced use of Anti-Social Behaviour Warnings and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders. Work to progress these commitments has commenced.
Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) represent a significant step towards a more collaborative, responsive, and locally driven model of public safety. They will bring together a broad range of relevant stakeholders to address community safety issues in their area which will include residents, local councillors, community representatives business and education representatives, and a range of public services including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and the local authority. A core part of their work will be to draft a Community Safety Plan tailored to the community's needs.
The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which I commenced on Wednesday 2 April, provides for the establishment of Local Community Safety Partnerships within each local authority area. The regulations for these Safety Partnerships came into operation on Monday 30 June.
36 Partnerships are in the process of being established in local authority areas across the country.
A number of administrative steps need to be undertaken to facilitate the establishment of a Local Community Safety Partnership in a given area, including nomination of proposed members by local authorities and statutory bodies, and the appointment of all members by myself as Minister.
Over 20 Partnerships have had members appointed, with a significant number of LCSPs already holding their first meetings. I expect to approve membership of the remaining Partnerships in the coming weeks.