S.I. No. 279/2025 - Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 (Section 114) (Safety Partnership) Regulations 2025

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 4th July, 2025.

I, JIM O’CALLAGHAN, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 114 (1) of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 (No. 1 of 2024) (as adapted by the Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2025 ( S.I. No. 242 of 2025 )), having consulted with the other relevant Ministers, hereby order as follows:

Citation and commencement

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 (Section 114) (Safety Partnership) Regulations 2025.

(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on 30 June 2025.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations –

“Act of 2024” means the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 (No. 1 of 2024);

“relevant local authority”, in relation to a safety partnership, means the local authority in the administrative area of which the safety partnership is established.

Establishment and resourcing of safety partnerships

3. (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), a safety partnership shall, on the coming into operation of these Regulations, stand established in the administrative area of each local authority.

(2) Two safety partnerships shall, on the coming into operation of these Regulations, stand established in the administrative area of Fingal, the functional area of each safety partnership having been determined by agreement in writing between the Director and the chief executive of Fingal County Council.

(3) Five safety partnerships shall, on the coming into operation of these Regulations, stand established in the administrative area of Dublin City Council, the functional area of each safety partnership having been determined by agreement in writing between the Director and the chief executive of Dublin City Council.

(4) The Minister shall provide such funding for each safety partnership to the relevant local authority of the safety partnership as he or she may determine from time to time, following consultation with the Director and the chief executive officer or Director General, as the case may be, of that relevant local authority.

Membership of safety partnerships

4. (1) A safety partnership shall be comprised of not more than 30 members.

(2) The Minister shall appoint, as members of each safety partnership –

(a) 7 elected members of the relevant local authority of the safety partnership nominated for that purpose by that local authority,

(b) an employee of the relevant local authority of the safety partnership nominated for that purpose by the chief executive or Director General, as the case may be, of the relevant local authority,

(c) such number of members of An Garda Síochána, nominated for that purpose by the Garda Commissioner, as the Minister considers appropriate,

(d) one member of staff of the Health Service Executive nominated for that purpose by the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive,

(e) one member of staff of the Child and Family Agency nominated for that purpose by the chief executive officer of the Child and Family Agency, and

(f) such number of other persons, nominated for that purpose by the Director pursuant to paragraph (3), as the Minister considers appropriate.

(3) The Director may, following consultation with the chief executive or the Director General, as the case may be, of the relevant local authority of a safety partnership, nominate persons –

(a) representing local community and voluntary bodies,

(b) representing local community interests, or

(c) otherwise possessing relevant experience or expertise,

for the purposes of appointment to the safety partnership pursuant to paragraph (1)(f).

(4) When nominating members pursuant to subparagraph (b) to (e) of paragraph (2), the person so nominating shall have regard to the need for persons appointed to safety partnerships to be of appropriate rank or seniority within the organisation from which they are nominated.

(5) A member of a safety partnership shall hold office for such period, not exceeding 3 years from the date of his or her appointment, as the Minister shall determine, unless the member sooner –

(a) dies, resigns or is removed from office, or

(b) in the case of a member appointed pursuant to subparagraphs (a) to (e) of paragraph (2), ceases to hold the office or position by virtue of which he or she was eligible to be so appointed.

(6) A member of a safety partnership whose term of office expires by the effluxion of time shall be eligible for reappointment by the Minister as such a member for a further period, not exceeding 3 years from the date of reappointment, as the Minister shall determine.

(7) The Minister may remove a member of a safety partnership for stated reasons.

Chairperson and vice-chairperson of safety partnerships

5. (1) The members of a safety partnership shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson from amongst their number.

(2) A chairperson or a vice-chairperson elected pursuant to paragraph (1) shall hold office as such a chairperson or vice-chairperson for a period of 3 years from the date of his or her election, unless he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed from the office of chairperson or vice-chairperson or ceases to be a member of the safety partnership concerned.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), a chairperson or vice-chairperson of a safety partnership whose term of office expires by the effluxion of time shall be eligible for re-election to the office concerned for a further period of 3 years.

(4) (a) A person who has served 2 terms of office as a chairperson of a safety partnership shall not be eligible for re-election as the chairperson of the safety partnership.

(b) A person who has served 2 terms of office as a vice-chairperson of a safety partnership shall not be eligible for re-election as the vice-chairperson of the safety partnership.

(5) The Minister may remove a chairperson or a vice-chairperson of a safety partnership from office for stated reasons.

Conduct of business of safety partnerships

6. (1) Each safety partnership shall agree terms of reference for the conduct of the business of the safety partnership, which shall include provision for the quorum applicable to a meeting of the safety partnership.

(2) Each safety partnership shall hold such and so many meetings as may be necessary for the performance of its functions, and in 2026 and each year thereafter, shall hold at least 6 meetings in each year.

(3) The chairperson of a safety partnership shall fix the date, time and place of each meeting of the safety partnership.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), the chairperson of each safety partnership shall ensure that, in each year, other than in 2025 –

(a) members of the public are invited to attend at least one of the meetings of the safety partnership, and

(b) members of the Oireachtas and elected members of the relevant local authority are invited to attend at least one of the meetings of the safety partnership.

(5) Members of the public shall not be permitted to attend a meeting referred to in paragraph (4)(b).

(6) Representatives of the Authority may, for the purposes of the performance by the Authority of its functions, attend a meeting of a safety partnership or of any committee established by a safety partnership under Regulation 7(1).

(7) Where –

(a) the office of chairperson of a safety partnership is vacant, or

(b) the chairperson of the safety partnership is for any reason temporarily unable to continue to perform his or her functions,

the vice-chairperson of the safety partnership may perform those functions until –

(i) where subparagraph (a) applies, a new chairperson is elected in accordance with these Regulations, or

(ii) where subparagraph (b) applies, the chairperson is able to resume the performance of his or her functions.

(8) Where –

(a) the offices of chairperson and vice-chairperson of a safety partnership are vacant, or

(b) the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the safety partnership are for any reason temporarily unable to continue to perform their functions,

a member of the safety partnership elected for that purpose by the members of that safety membership may perform the functions of the chairperson until –

(i) where subparagraph (a) applies, a new chairperson or vice-chairperson is elected in accordance with these Regulations, or

(ii) where subparagraph (b) applies, the chairperson or vice-chairperson is able to resume the performance of his or her functions.

(9) A safety partnership may act notwithstanding one or more than one vacancy in its membership.

Establishment of committees of safety partnerships

7. (1) A safety partnership may establish such and so many committees as it thinks fit to assist and advise it in relation to the performance of any of its functions.

(2) A committee established under paragraph (1) –

(a) shall consist of such number of members as the safety partnership by which it is established may determine,

(b) shall have as a member of the committee as least one member of that safety partnership, and

(c) may include as members of the committee persons who are not members of that safety partnership.

(3) In appointing the members of a committee established under paragraph (1), the safety partnership concerned shall have regard to the range of qualifications and experience necessary for the proper and effective performance of the functions of the committee.

(4) The chairperson of a committee established under paragraph (1) shall be appointed by the safety partnership concerned from among the members of the committee who are also members of that safety partnership.

(5) A safety partnership may at any time remove a member of a committee established by it under paragraph (1) for stated reasons.

(6) A safety partnership may determine the terms of reference and regulate the procedures of a committee established by it under paragraph (1).

(7) The acts of a committee established under paragraph (1) shall be subject to confirmation by the safety partnership that established it unless that safety partnership otherwise determines.

(8) A committee established under paragraph (1) shall provide the safety partnership that established it with such information, in respect of the activities and operations of the committee, as the safety partnership may from time to time require for the purposes of the performance by the safety partnership of its functions.

(9) A safety partnership may at any time dissolve a committee established by it under paragraph (1).

(10) A committee established under paragraph (1) may act notwithstanding one or more than one vacancy in its membership.

Dissolution of joint policing committees

8. Each joint policing committee shall, on the coming into operation of these Regulations, stand dissolved.

Engagement with Authority and public bodies

9. (1) A safety partnership may cooperate with –

(a) other safety partnerships,

(b) public service bodies,

(c) Local Community Development Committees established pursuant to section 49A of the Local Government Act 2001 ,

(d) the Authority,

(e) any other public body, or

(f) any committee or other group established by a body referred to in subparagraph (a) to (e) or by a Minister of the Government.

(2) The Authority may, where it would assist the Authority in the performance of its functions, convene such meetings of the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of such safety partnerships as it considers appropriate.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

26 June, 2025.

JIM O’CALLAGHAN,

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.