IN A MOVE that marks significant progress, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has signed off on a new plan for management of local policing committees and the groups will form over the coming weeks, after complaints over delays to its implementation.

The Local Community Safety Partnership has been set up across a number of cities and counties to bring councillors, gardaí, community groups and state agencies together to address problems such as burglaries, anti-social behaviour and youth crime.

The plan is to replace the old Joint Policing Committee system with the new Partnership structure.

Those committees were larger groupings with a heavier weighting towards politicians that met quarterly. The new system is aimed at reducing the numbers involved and giving residents and businesses more of a role.

But the pace of the changes has come in for criticism as some counties have not seen their Joint Policing Committee meet in over a year due to the structure being phased out.

O’Callaghan has signed off on regulations in recent weeks that provide for the establishment of Local Community Safety Partnerships in each local authority area across the country.

A total of 36 Safety Partnerships will be established, each with up to 30 members.

A department spokesperson told The Journal that every partnership will be required to develop its own tailored Community Safety Plan, with specific projects and actions to improve community safety in their area.

The department hopes that they will play a significant role in enhancing community safety nationwide and are a collaboration between state agencies elected members, local residents, businesses and An Garda Síochána.

The new partnership model has been trialled in three local authorities including Dublin city, Waterford and Longford, where councillors have expressed deep concern over its effectiveness relative to the old Joint Policing Committee structure.

Waterford City and County Council is currently compiling the final list of members for submission to the Department of Justice for nomination by the Minister for Justice.

A spokesperson for the council confirmed to The Journal that it is currently compiling the final list of members for its Local Community Safety Partnership.

It will then submit these names to the Department of Justice for nomination by O’Callaghan.

“Upon appointment of the partnership members by the Minister, a meeting of the Local Community Safety Partnership will be called. This is expected to be before the end of October,” the spokesperson said.

Sinn Féin has previously called on the Minister Jim O’Callaghan to set a date for the establishment of the promised Local Community Safety Partnerships following concern over criminality in Co Louth.