Membership of key liaison groups between communities and gardaí focused on local policing and safety is to be expanded, under new regulations coming into force on Monday.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has signed regulations which will replace joint policing committees (JPCs) with new local community safety partnerships (LCSPs) and govern how the new structures will operate.
The move comes after concerns were outlined by some on local authorities, including Dublin City Council, about the new structure.
Government sources said there were measures to in the new system safeguard the position of local politicians, however.
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There will be mandatory representatives among the membership from local authorities, with one LCSP set up in each of the 36 local authority areas around the country. Each one will also feature representation from An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and a representative of child and family agency Tusla.
Seven elected members from each local authority will be nominated to each partnership by the county or city council, with other local politicians given opportunities to engage with them directly.
They will also include a wider membership than their predecessors, with residents, local councillors, members representing younger and older people and minority groups eligible to sit on the bodies. Business and education representatives will also be included, with up to 30 members allowed on each body.
They will be mandated to hold at least six meetings per year, with no upper ceiling put on the number of times they can convene. Members of the public must be allowed to attend at least one of the meetings, and representatives of the Oireachtas and the relevant local authority will also be invited to attend at least one of the annual meetings.
A voluntary chairperson and a vice-chairperson will be elected from among the membership, with each partnership required to develop and implement a tailored community safety plan.
The decision to replace the JPCs had faced criticism from some local authority members, who claimed they would downgrade the role held by county and city councillors. In 2023 the then minister for justice Helen McEntee moved to reassure councillors that their role would not be marginalised, and that legislation and regulations underpinning the new structures would make it explicit that they could chair community safety partnerships.
Mr O’Callaghan argued that the establishment of the partnerships “marks a significant step toward a more collaborative, responsive and locally driven approach to community safety”.
He added that while Ireland is generally regarded as a safe country with relatively low crime rates, the reality is different for some communities.
“We need the structures put in place at a local level so longer-term solutions which are not focused solely on policing can be put in place. Bad public lighting, waste collection, poor planning of public spaces, the location of services all contribute to feelings of safety in our towns,” he said.
