Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2024-01-24
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Lynn Ruane (IND), University of Dublin

I disagree with the Minister on that point. The make-up of the task forces is basically six, six and six, comprising the statutory, voluntary and community sectors. The bodies listed in this section are all statutory bodies and all have a particular function within that statutory role. I am not saying the members of those bodies do not choose to be there; they commit to the engagement and keep it going. However, the community and voluntary organisations are often the ones working in the services at the coalface and on the front line, whereas the statutory bodies bring a different layer of expertise into those spaces. The local authority is hugely important when it comes to safety, as is An Garda Síochána, but the people involved are all a particular type of representative. The task forces also include community representatives. I cannot imagine a scenario where the whole membership of a task force would be on a community partnership.
I am proposing that task forces would nominate a particular individual from among their membership to be on the community safety partnership. Is the Minister saying that another section within this legislation will provide for the naming of the task forces as public service bodies? Would that require her to bring forward an amendment when the Bill goes back to the Dáil for consideration of amendments passed in this House?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2024-01-24/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:52:34+00:00
Sitting date: 2024-01-24