Preasráitis
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee appoints first Director of new National Office for Community Safety
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today (Monday) announced that she has designated Gráinne Berrill to be appointed as the first Director of the National Office for Community Safety.
This office established by Minister McEntee will be a game changer for community safety in Ireland. It will lead on the establishment of the new Community Safety Partnerships, enabling communities to develop their own local community safety plans.
Ms Berrill brings with her a wealth of experience in the public and Community & Voluntary sectors, having held several senior roles, including most recently as the Coordinator of the Drogheda Implementation Board; a cross agency, cross sectoral response to rising concerns regarding crime and fear of crime in the area.
As Director, Ms Berrill will oversee the management and administration of the National Office for Community Safety, which will be established under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 when the Act is commenced by the Minister later this year.
The National Office will play a central role in the rollout of the Government’s ambitious new strategy for improving community safety. Working closely with Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs), the Office will be responsible for providing support, training, and guidance to local authorities to enhance community safety across Ireland. This initiative represents a key component of the Government’s broader efforts to promote inter-agency collaboration and inclusive community engagement at the local level.
The National Office will build on the work of the LCSP pilot partnerships which have been running in Longford, Waterford and Dublin's North Inner City for the last number of years. Each has developed and published a local community safety plan and through independent monitoring and evaluation has helped inform best practice for the forthcoming national roll out.
Announcing the appointment, Minister McEntee said:
“I am truly delighted to be announcing Gráinne Berrill’s appointment today. Community safety is a priority for me as Minister for Justice. It is about people being safe and feeling safe in their own community. Nobody knows a community better than the people who live and work there, and the new Local Community Safety Partnerships have been designed with this in mind.
The National Office for Community Safety will be the linchpin for the LCSPs as they are rolled out right across the country.
Under Gráinne’s leadership, the Drogheda Implementation Board has overseen huge improvements in community safety for Drogheda. I know she will bring this experience to the national level and I wish her all the very best in her new role. We share a commitment to a vibrant and safe Ireland and I look forward to seeing the innovative and crucial work that comes from the National Office and the LCSPs over the coming years.”
Speaking on her appointment Ms Berrill said:
“I am honoured to be designated by the Minister to be appointed as the first Director of the National Office for Community Safety. I am particularly motivated by the opportunity to bring a broader, coordinated focus to community safety issues, at both national and local level, to enable communities to be safe and feel safe.
I therefore look forward to working with our colleagues and partners across Government Departments, An Garda Síochána, local authorities, statutory agencies, and the Community and Voluntary sector to embed a whole-of-government, whole-of-community partnership approach to community safety that will empower communities to have a strong say in what actions are prioritised by services operating in their area.
My focus now will be on establishing the National Office so we can support this process and I would like to thank Minister McEntee for entrusting me with this task.”
ENDS
Note for Editors:
• Gráinne Berrill is the Designate Director of the National Office for Community Safety. As per the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, she will take up her role as Director on commencement of the Act.
• The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 was signed by the President on 7 February 2024. Final preparations are underway to allow for its commencement later this year. A copy of the Act can be found at the following link: PSCS Act
• The new National Office for Community Safety will be overseen by a cross-Government Community Safety Steering Group to be established by the Minister for Justice, which will, in turn, report to a Cabinet Committee.
The National Office for Community Safety will have the following functions:
o Provide support to public service bodies in the implementation of the national strategy and to foster collaboration between those bodies in the provision of services to improve community safety;
o Prepare annual programmes of work to support the implementation of the national strategy;
o Provide training, guidance and support to LCSPs in their operation and in the performance of their functions;
o Monitor the implementation of the national strategy;
o Monitor the implementation of Local Community Safety Plans (which will be published by each LCSP);
o Conduct or commission research and evaluations relating to any of the functions of the National Office and the operation of LCSPs
o Promote public awareness of issues affecting community safety and the work of the National Office;
o Provide such information and reports as are requested by the Minister, the Steering Group and the designated committee of the Government;
o Provide such other support as the Steering Group may require to perform its functions.
Local Community Safety Partnerships
• The Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs) will operate at local authority level and they will replace Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). The LCSPs will have a wider membership than JPCs and will include residents, local councillors, community representatives (including representatives of young people, older people, new and minority communities), business and education representatives and a range of public services including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and the local authority.
• Pilot LCSPs have been running in Longford, Waterford and Dublin's North Inner City, and each has published a local community safety plan, which are available on the respective local authority websites.
• The plans set out a number of agreed actions to be undertaken by the members of the LCSPs to enhance community safety in that area.
• Each newly established LCSP will be required to develop and implement its own tailored community safety plan and will take a strategic approach to their work so that issues arising can be dealt with in a coordinated manner; addressed collectively by relevant service providers in partnership with the community.
Community Safety Policy
• A key principle identified in the 2018 report (‘The Future of Policing in Ireland’) by the Commission on the Future of Policing (CoFPI) relates to the wider challenges associated with policing, whereby a significant proportion of police time is spent on harm prevention – providing services to people with mental health, addiction and additional conditions, homeless people, children, the elderly and others at risk.
• Community Safety needs cannot be the responsibility of An Garda Síochána alone and involves other agencies of Government such as health and social services. As recommended by the CoFPI, the Government approved the development of a Policing and Community Safety Bill to replace the Garda Síochána Act 2005.
• The intent behind the new legislation is to redefine the functions of An Garda Síochána, including placing an obligation on relevant Departments, State agencies and local authorities to cooperate with An Garda Síochána and each other in relation to community safety matters.