Calls for stronger county representation on new local community safety partnership board

UNDER a new Government-backed scheme, just six councillors from across Limerick will sit on the Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) committee, which will meet several times a year to advise on community safety issues.

However, members of the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District say the system is “unbalanced” and fails to reflect the geographical size and rural challenges of both the district and County Limerick as a whole.

“We want to work with you,” said Cllr Adam Teskey during a briefing from Paul Moroney, the local coordinator for Limerick.

"We have serious concerns. I want to see how we could get two members (from Adare-Rathkeale) onto the board because of our geographical size, our proximity to the Shannon Estuary, and our access to international waters,” he added.

His comments were backed by Cllr Stephen Keary, who said he was “disappointed” with the overall structure and questioned how the scheme would benefit communities outside the city.

Cllr John O'Donoghue also expressed concerns noting the size of the Adare-Rathkeale district, which extends from Ballyeety  to Loughill.

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Representatives from the LCSP said they understood the councillors’ concerns and welcomed the opportunity to hear them directly.

The LCSP delegation told the October meeting of the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District meeting that they would “bring back your queries and concerns”.

Councillors also argued that the previous Joint Policing Committee system could have worked had it been properly funded, describing the new model as “layers and layers of bureaucracy” where “cases will just end up on a table in Dublin.”

The LCSP, which will replace the joint policing committee (JPC) framework nationally, aims to promote collaboration between Gardaí, local authorities and communities, but councillors said they are determined to ensure that rural Limerick “is not left behind.”

It is expected the new committee, which will also include representatives of other State agencies and stakeholders will not be officially formed until early next year.

Up to 30 people can serve on the committee and all members must be approved by the Minister for Justice.