A pilot community warden service, launched in five local authority areas yesterday, will be introduced nationwide if it proves successful, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government has said.
Mr Dempsey said the project would be monitored over the next three years before a decision was made on whether to extend it to every local authority. Sixty wardens have been employed under the €5.7 million pilot project.
They will have powers to issue on-the-spot fines for breaches of bye-laws but will not be able to detain or arrest offenders.
"This new service is not a second police force," said the Minister. "It is a local authority service dealing with local authority issues which affect the community."
As well as policing bye-laws, the wardens will provide advice to residents, and try to resolve local disputes over, for instance, noise or air pollution. Each will receive a €60-a-week allowance above the normal traffic and litter warden pay rate to compensate for their extra duties.
"They will become our eyes and ears on the ground," said Galway city manager Mr John Tierney. "Hopefully, they will help with the prevention as well as cure of problems." Wardens are to liaise with the Garda Siochána on criminal activity and public order matters.
Each local authority is allowed to display its crest on the shoulder of the grey and red-lapelled uniform. Local authorities can also select their own vehicle colours with Galway City Council going for a patriotic maroon, and Wexford Co Council white with an orange stripe - "for visibility", as Mr Tony Larkin, director of services in the local authority, explained.
With eight wardens to come on duty today and another 10 in the next fortnight, Wexford will have the largest community warden service in the Republic. A fleet of eight vehicles, including two four-wheel drive vans have been deployed for policing roads and beaches in the county.
Naas, Co Kildare was four days ago the first town in the Republic to see the new wardens on its streets. Their arrival coincided with the introduction of paid parking in the town.
Naas town clerk Mr Declan Kirrane said the wardens were taking a "softly-softly" approach while people adjusted to the new regime, and as a result "the reaction has been very good". The two other local authorities involved in the pilot scheme are Galway Co Council and Leitrim Co Council.
