COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 08, 2012

MOTION NO. 13

MOTION: Councillor B. Bonner

Given that the interim funding for the Community Safety Fora is due to run out at the end of the year, a report is requested on the progress made to date in the efforts made to secure alternative funding.  This Council recognises the invaluable work being done by the fora and urges the relevant ministers to find the funding to enable the fora to continue. 

REPORT:

A comprehensive   report  on this issue was made to the Council at the full County Council meeting on Monday 14th May 2012.

Essentially, the Community Safety Fora projects at North Clondalkin and South West Clondalkin, along with the Estate Management projects at Fettercairn and Killinarden had their central government funding withdrawn from the end of March 2012. After a series of meetings between the Council and the Department of the Environment Community and Local Government, the Department agreed to provide additional pro rata funding to support the four projects for the second quarter of 2012, i.e. until 30th June 2012.

Subsequently, South Dublin County Council officials, while continuing to maintain contact with the DOECLG, co-ordinated meetings with the stakeholders involved in the projects including the Dodder Valley and CPLN Partnerships and the Clondalkin and Tallaght Drugs Task Forces.

The outcome of the discussions was a proposal to maintain all four projects until the end of 2012, following identification of funds on a partnership basis between the Council and stakeholders, in this case Tallaght Drugs Task Force and CPLN Partnership.

The Council identified a sum of €48,000 from the Tallaght Community Linkage Fund for the projects at Fettercairn and Killinarden, with a contribution also from the Tallaght Drugs Task Force and a  further sum of €30,000 from the Council's own resources within the Community and Housing 2012 budget with a contribution from the CPLN Partnership for the Safety Forum projects in North Clondalkin and South West Clondalkin.

As outlined in the report this is a once-off contribution from the Council and would provide an opportunity for the relevant projects to source alternative funding streams. It would also allow time for the Minister of State to complete her report on the structures that underpin the National Dugs Strategy. It is understood that this review will include how current funding structures can be improved or streamlined, particularly with local and regional drugs task forces. 

Mainly the proposal provides an opportunity to the relevant projects and stakeholders for the report to be issued, for alternative funds to be sourced and / or for the collective structures to identify an alternative model for the delivery of service.

The financial assistance from the Council as identified above is in respect of 2012 only, and it must be re-iterated that the Council is not in a position for funding beyond 2012.