Community

Local Community Safety Partnership (dlr LCSP)

 

Information regarding the Community Safety Fund 2026 can be found in the Related Content Section 

 

The Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Local Community Safety Partnership aims to prioritise the voice of local people in identifying and addressing community safety issues in collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders including local Councillors, An Garda Síochána, community representatives, business, education representatives and a range of statutory agencies including the HSE, the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.


The purpose of the dlr LCSP is to bring the relevant bodies together with communities in a collaborative manner, by focusing on the safety concerns identified and prioritised by local people. The newly established dlr LCSP will be required to develop and implement its own tailored dlr Local Community Safety Plan so that community safety issues can be dealt with in a coordinated manner and responded to by the relevant service providers in partnership with the community.

 

Membership

Membership on the dlr LCSP cannot exceed 30 people.  Members will be nominated by their organisations or through the dlr Public Participation Network (dlr PPN).

 

Representation on the dlr LCSP will consist of the following stakeholders:

-A senior representative from the Child and Family Agency (Tusla).

-A senior representative from the HSE.

-A Director from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

-Residents from residents’ associations across the County.

-A representative from the Education sector

-Representatives from Business

-Members representing new and minority communities, sport, social inclusion, domestic and gender-based violence, youth and others.

-Councillors from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

-Senior members from An Garda Siochana.

 

Partnership Approach

The partnership approach is built on two premises:

  1. Every community is different and has different problems and issues.
  2. That responding to these issues is not the sole responsibility of An Garda Siochana and involves other agencies from Government such as health and social services.

 

We are asking you to get involved in making our County a safer place to live, work, recreate and visit.

If you are passionate about making Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County a safer and more inclusive place for everyone, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is inviting expressions of interest from the local community who want to actively influence community safety in the County and contribute to finding solutions.

We are welcoming applications from residents’ associations, youth, social inclusion, education, sport, new and minority communities and representatives of community and voluntary organisations.

 

Please see related documents below to access Expression of Interest Forms and Frequently Asked Questions that will inform you decision on whether or not to get involved.

The Policing Security and Community Safety Act 2024 and the Policing Security and Community Safety Act 2024 (Section 114) (Safety Partnership) Regulations 2025 (S.I. No. 279/2025) established local community safety partnerships nationally to include the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Local Community Safety Partnership. 

Contact

Contact Details:    communitysafety@dlrcoco.ie

                            Coordinator: Deirdre Cronin

                            Administrator: Eoin Dunne

    

 

New Chair and Vice-Chair Appointed to dlr Local Community Safety Partnership 

 

The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Local Community Safety Partnership (dlr LCSP) has appointed Councillor JP Durkan as Chair and Aileen Eglington as Vice-Chair following its first meeting on 27th January.  The Partnership has been set up to help communities feel safer and stronger by bringing agencies and organisations together to tackle local safety issues.  The Chair and Vice-Chair will lead this work and support the development of practical, community-focused safety solutions across the county. 

 

Frank Curran, Chief Executive Officer, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said:  

 

“I am delighted to welcome Councillor JP Durkan as Chair and Aileen Eglington as Vice-Chair of the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Local Community Safety Partnership.  They bring a strong depth of experience and expertise to their roles.  The Partnership is founded on the principle that every community has the right to feel safe and to thrive.  Through collaboration, engagement and multi-agency working, the dlr LCSP will address local safety concerns and develop effective, community-focused solutions.  The newly appointed Chair and Vice-Chair will be instrumental in guiding this important work.” 

 

Councillor JP Durkan and Aileen Eglington said that they were honoured to take on this very important role and look forward to working with the dlr LCSP on this Government initiative to strengthen and improve community safety in our communities, towns and villages across the County.  

 

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan said:  

 

“I am extremely pleased that the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Local Community Safety Partnership has been established, and its first meeting has taken place. This marks another significant step on the rollout of these partnerships nationwide and this government’s new approach to community safety.” 

 

“The next step for this Partnership is to develop and implement its own, tailored Community Safety Plan. The National Office of Community Safety based in my Department, will be on-hand to support the Partnership as it begins its important work.” 

 

“Bringing together local representatives, community groups and state agencies allows Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Local Community Safety Partnership to develop a plan that identifies community safety needs in their own area. My Department has been successfully piloting this model for a number of years in three locations. I would encourage each new partnership to build on the excellent work done by these pilot partnerships who have each published their own community safety plan.”  

 

“I’d like to thank everyone involved in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown LCSP for being part of this significant new chapter in community safety. I look forward to following their progress.”   

 

Local Safety Partnerships Legislation 

  

The Policing Security and Community Safety Act 2024 and Statutory Instrument 279/2025 provide the legislative framework that rolled out the local community safety partnerships nationally. 

 

Members of the LCSP

 

The minutes of the LCSP meeting that took place on the 27th January 2026 are shown in a link at the bottom of this page.

 

 Our Expressions of Interest can be found in the related content section at the top right of the page!

FAQ
  • Application forms should be completed fully
  • Applicants should ensure they they submit all required documentation
  • Applicants must meet the required deadline
  • Applicants should ensure that they apply under the correct and most appropriate section
  • Applicants should contact a community worker or area community officer to discuss their application or attend an information evening.    

An application can be refused on a number of grounds.  The most common reasons are:

 

  • The group did not demonstrate ability to match fund the project
  • The group is not constituted and is not a voluntary community group
  • The application submitted did not meet the criteria for the grant.
  • The application is vague and does not have enough information to allow the grant to be approved.
  • Business organisations not eligible for community grants
  • The group applied for the same funding under another grant application within the Dun Laoghaire County Council. 

This category includes grants to assist with:-

Start Up Costs for community and voluntary groups, including insurance costs, purchase of small items of equipment and rental costs for new community groups who have been established within the previous six months.

Training Support for groups involved in community development who require training related to community development, governance, committee skills etc. The training must be for a group of volunteers and not one person only.

Community Development Initiatives for projects which assist with the long term development of a group or area and which specifically address equality initiatives, anti-racism, social inclusion, research and implementation of information and communication technology.

Running Costs related to on-going running costs including insurance and facility hire for existing groups.

Mobile digital devices to support online service provision, such as laptops and tablets, may be considered for funding through the Community Grants Scheme.

An equipment grant is intended for the purchase or replacement of agreed relevant equipment. It includes the purchase of major and minor equipment.

A Major Equipment Grant provides for the purchase of large items of equipment up to a maximum value of €4,000.

A Minor Equipment Grant provides for the purchase of smaller items of equipment up to a maximum value of €1,500. This does not include Petrol / Diesel or Electrical Gardening Equipment.

 

A copy of the full guidelines is available on the council’s website www.dlrcoco.ie or you can contact the Community and Cultural Development Section on 01 2054893.  .

The purpose of a Community Estate Enhancement Grant is to assist community groups who are trying to improve their local environment through projects or activities of an environmental nature at community level.    

The Public Participation Network (PPN) aims to enable the public as well as local organisations to voice their views and interests within the local government system. It is the main framework for public participation and engagement. Membership is open to not for profit groups in the social inclusion, environmental and general community and voluntary sectors. 

www.dlrppn.ie

A Community Small Arts Grant is intended to assist individual artists or bodies organise a small scale community based arts event that promotes the arts in the community and improves appreciation of the arts, access to the arts and standards in the arts in the community.  Activities such as community/amateur art exhibitions, community publications of a creative writing nature and amateur musical/dramatic societies are eligible under this category.

No, funding will only be awarded to proposals not already covered under another grant category.

An IAD is an identified area of disadvantage in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County.     

No, a separate application must be submitted for each grant category.

Yes, all successful applicants are required to acknowledge the financial assistance of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and include the Council’s logo on all printed matter.

Groups working in the areas of Community, Sports, Arts, Residents Associations, groups working with people experiencing disadvantage/inequality and groups with a focus on protecting the environment and sustainability must register with the PPN in order to qualify for funding.  Application forms for registering can be found on www.dlrcoco.ie/ppn . Other conditions apply to individual grant categories, e.g. an application under the category of Age Friendly Support must address specific needs of older people and demonstrate how it supports the delivery of the DLR Age Friendly Strategy. 

This category covers two grant types:-

A Feasibility Grant is intended to give assistance to local community and voluntary groups to complete a feasibility study regarding the development of a community facility.

The Upgrading Community Facilities Grant allows for the refurbishment and/or redecoration of a facility which is used by the community.  

A Major Equipment Grant can only be applied for once every three years while a Minor Equipment Grant can be applied for every year.

A Community Activity Grant is intended to assist community and voluntary groups to promote local community activities.  Examples include a community day, community week or a small event during the year. 

Community groups can apply for this grant to assist with the provision of supervised recreational and educational activities for young people during the summer period.  Summer projects must cater for the local community and must run for a period one, two or three weeks over the summer holiday.

The Age Friendly Support Grant is available to groups and organisations who wish to deliver specific supports and initiatives to enhance the quality of life of older people living and visiting the area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Priority will be given to initiatives which support the achievement of the Age Friendly Strategy with goals relating to enhancing the quality of life for older people as well as initiatives improving accessibility to the built environment or initiatives to reduce isolation or loneliness.

No, a grant will only cover a percentage of a project and the group must demonstrate the financial capacity to match the funding.

Yes, but the application to draw down the grant must be accompanied by the appropriate support documentation.   

Yes, a group can apply for several grants under different categories provided each application relates to a different project/event/activity/initiative.   

Projects are responsible for ensuring that they meet all the requirements of child protection and Garda vetting legislation in Ireland, including the Children First Act 2015. Successful applicants must have policies and procedures in place prior to drawing down funds in accordance with national policy, namely, Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children.

Local community and voluntary groups may apply for a community grant to assist with the delivery of a community initiative, project, event or activity.  The group must be properly constituted and the application must demonstrate a benefit to the local community. The group must also be registered with the Public Participation Network.

The purpose of Community Grants is to provide financial support to community groups who are engaged in community initiatives, projects, events and activities in the administrative area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. The grants support the delivery of the Council’s commitment to improve the quality of life for all its citizens.

For further information contact communitysafety@dlrcoco.ie

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