Local councillors will soon be able to claim back four-times the amount currently permitted for personal security measures due to fears over intimidation and harassment of politicians.
The €2,500 security allowance for local authority members will rise to €10,000 under reforms agreed by the Department of Local Government.
Measures considered under the security allowance include intruder alarms, fixed panic buttons and CCTV cameras.
Representative groups for local politicians had told the department the existing scheme is deficient, too limited in its scope and carried with it a range of impractical administrative requirements.
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Minister of State for Local Government John Cummins had previously flagged potential changes to the scheme. It will in future be closer to the grant offered to TDs and Senators, who can claim up to €25,000 to enhance their personal security.
Only 23 out of 949 county or city councillors have availed of the scheme under its current form, which allows the lesser amount of either €2,500 or 50 per cent of the cost of the measures to be refunded.
Under the reforms, the new €10,000 maximum would cover up to 100 per cent of works undertaken, while members who previously paid for up to half of the cost will be able to apply for reimbursement.
Mr Cummins has said public representatives should not feel unsafe while serving their communities.
He has told the Seanad it is unacceptable that councillors are being subjected to threats, targeted abuse and intimidation.
There are fears within the political system that the level of abuse and threats is leading would-be candidates or elected politicians to stay away from or withdraw from public life.
In a letter to Mr Cummins earlier this year, the Association of Irish Local Government asked for an allowance comparable to that given to Oireachtas members to alleviate the security concerns of local politicians. Many councillors operate from their family home, which entails increased risks for them and their families, it said.
The scheme for national politicians was similarly affected by a lack of take-up after it opened, with four politicians applying for the security allowance as of January of last year. This increased to 11 over the rest of the year.
Its first iteration was limited to a payment of €5,000 to cover up to half the cost of works. The amount was raised last year.
To avail of the scheme, councillors will need a report from a Garda crime prevention officer.
