Local opposition TDs have criticised the Government’s community safety plan for Dublin’s north inner city area launched on Friday.
The plan outlines the Community Safety Warden Scheme being piloted in Wolfe Tone Square and its surrounding streets, and on O’Connell Street, which will focus on the night-time economy and public transport.
The scheme aims to “increase feeling of safety and act as an additional opportunity to observe and report issues of concern for anti-social behaviour”.
The plan also states that overt drug dealing was raised as an issue during public consultations, and outlines ways to tackle it, including engagement with vulnerable drug users and dealers, and mobile health units.
It comes after several high profile assaults raised concerns about safety in parts of the capital, while businesses raised concerns about drug dealing in certain parts of the inner city.
Opposition TDs have criticised the plans, stating that many of the measures have been announced previously and that €10 million in funding given to gardaí should also be matched for community initiatives.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the idea for community safety wardens in her three-year safety plan for the north inner city came from a similar initiative in Derry.
“The idea of the community safety wardens came from, I suppose, a project that had been in place in the North and in Derry and the team here, I know, travelled to engage with them to see how they worked and how effective they’ve been there,” she said.
“The role of the wardens, I suppose, there’s multiple elements to this. It’s about being a presence in the city centre.
“It’s about being visible and engaging with members of the community who are in the area but also linking in with businesses, it’s about identifying issues that arise, it’s not for wardens to take the role of An Garda Síochána but they’re certainly working hand in hand.
“It’s not just about boots on the ground. Visibility, that’s so important, but it’s dealing with the root causes, tackling them from an early age and putting on a legal footing, a new structure.
“And if the requirements of the community change, the plan can change, it can adapt and grow and above all, the agencies and departments and the requirements that are there, people will be legally required to respond to an implement them.”
Green Party TD for Dublin Central Neasa Hourigan said the plan was “disappointing and a hugely missed opportunity”.
“It demonstrates a lack of ambition and scope for improving community life in the heart of Dublin city.
“While I welcome the recent allocation of €10 million in funding for An Garda Síochána it is now time to do the serious work of investing in neighbourhoods and young people’s future in the city.
“An Garda Síochána has already received this much needed funding boost which will greatly benefit community policing and diversion programmes, although it remains unclear whether it has the capacity to staff the overtime required.”
Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon criticised the plan and claimed that many of the measures had already been announced in previous plans for the North East Inner City.
“To me, this reads like an analysis of existing problems rather than the Minister saying what she is actually going to do about them,” he said.
“Laughably, proposals to repair lighting, improve the appearance of streets and tackle littering are simply a description of Dublin City Council doing a job they already should be doing.”
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe, also a TD for Dublin Central, said he is “certain” the safety plan would make a difference, particularly around the O’Connell Street area.
“I’m certain that this plan will make a difference, and this plan will build on the work that’s already underway in the north east inner city that will deliver longer term benefits.”
He said that initiatives such as the new school building housing St Laurence O’Toole’s primary school, located in the heart of Seville Place which he said was a “symbol of neglect”, was an example of the “exceptional work” that takes “years to make a difference”.
“It’s the most important work, but it’s work that will only be of benefit to its inhabitants maybe in a decade to come.
“And what is happening now with this work is that it is adding not only to the work that the guards are doing, but getting very specific focus on the city council, on things that will make a difference and in particular, the initiatives regarding the city centre, O’Connell Street and the streets off it, will make a big difference.
“I’ll be spending a fair bit of the rest of my day now meeting businesses in the city centre, explaining this initiative.”
Eddie Mullins, chairman of the north inner city community safety partnership, said the safety plan will “bring back a level of confidence that might be missing at the moment”, but added that it was important to get “the balance right” on the narrative about the inner city.
“There’s been a lot of talk about open drug taking and open drug dealing in the streets, and that is an issue but we have to go much deeper – it’s happening for a reason.
“It’s not a lifestyle, the people I work with are chronically addicted, and they need immense support to try and deal with it,” he said.
“We won’t police our way out of our problems.
“One of the things I did learn as well working with the prison system is that criminal behaviour is very much inter-generational, so we need to work with young children and young people to support them to avoid that life of crime.
“It’s a very noble and ambitious plan, but I believe with all of the key players at the table, we can achieve (it).”
