The Chair of the Waterford Local Community Safety Partnership, Sean Aylward is delighted to announce that Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, T.D. has today announced the allocation of just over €300,000 of funding to two WLCSP projects, that will tackle safety issues identified within our communities.

In addition, a further €149,820 has been allocated to Waterford Leader Partnership for a Farming Pilot that will operate across the South East.

Speaking today, Minister McEntee stated:  “I’ve said consistently that the people who are best placed to know and respond to local safety issues are communities themselves. It’s vital that we empower our communities to proactively address safety concerns and in the process build stronger, safer communities.”

The WLCSP Chair, Sean Aylward commented that “he would like to thank the Minister for responding to issues of Community Safety and Sexual Assault identified as priority issues from within our own communities during working group meetings. The innovative projects of ‘Consent Matters’ and the introduction of ‘Safety Wardens’ in Waterford City will ensure that the issues are tackled collaboratively, in the heart of our local communities. The Minister’s support gets money into the communities emphasising the direct link of the activities of law enforcement and the community supporting those efforts from within to deliver improved feelings of safety in the communities.”

The innovative ‘Consent Matters’ project is a collaborative application by WLCSP, Purple Flag Steering Committee and the Southeast Technological University supported by the statutory and community partners which will raise awareness, educate key community groups across the County to create a safe, respectful, positive and supportive culture in the community, whilst attempting to reduce assaults. The Community Safety Wardens are intended to be community champions that will be the conduit in facilitating safer communities by ensuring everyone feels safe and their visible presence another step in the creation of a safe and resilient City Centre Community.

Commenting on the nature of the projects, WLCSP Coordinator Eddie Mulligan feels that “the wardens are not intended to replace Gardai but a conduit to build relationships between community stakeholders, visitors to our City and the inner City communities whilst the ‘Consent Matters’ is an innovative collaborative approach to tackling Sexual Violence and Harassment involving educational, statutory and community groups throughout the City and County”

These themes focused on in Waterford by these successful applications will provide vulnerable young people with a social/care farming placement, reduce anti-social behaviour, reduce sexual assaults and improve feelings of safety in our communities.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

• The Community Safety Innovation Fund was announced in April 2021 by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath.
• The Fund was initiated in 2022 and provided funding of €2 million across 22 projects with grants ranging from €20,000 to €150,000.
• The open call for the Community Safety Innovation funding 2023 ran from 27 March 2023 to 19 May 2023 and received a total of 61 funding applications.
•  Applications were assessed against stated criteria outlined in the call for proposals. This ensures funding is allocated to encourage the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who understand local community safety needs best.

The projects receiving funding under the 2023 CSIF (30 in total) are listed below: