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 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;
• 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.
The introduction of Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) around the country also represents 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.
