· Doubling of funding to €350,000 for the Community Alert Programme
· Incorporates new €100,000 rebate scheme covering the cost of approximately 1.6 million text messages
· Tánaiste: Funding represents a “tangible expression” of the Programme for Government commitment to support and prioritise community crime prevention schemes
22 September 2016
Speaking as she visited the National Ploughing Championships today, Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald announced that the funding for the Community Alert Programme has been doubled to €350,000 and now incorporates a new €100,000 rebate scheme for local groups registered under the Garda Text Alert Scheme.
The Tánaiste commented: “I am very pleased to be able to provide funding that will go directly to local groups. It is important that we recognise and support the many people across the country that have signed up and paid up as members of Text Alert Groups, which are a wonderful example of people working with their local Gardai to protect and support their community.”
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to support and prioritise community crime prevention schemes, including Text Alert, and the Tánaiste said that the new funding is “a tangible expression of the Government’s commitment to supporting a partnership approach to crime prevention between local communities and An Garda Síochána”.
“For the first time, we are in a position to provide some of this funding directly to local communities. I intend to review the operation of the new scheme early in 2017, together with the Garda Commissioner, with a view to supporting the operation of the Text Alert initiative into the future.
The Tánaiste also referred to the concentrated Garda drive against organised burglary gangs who had targeted some rural communities –
“The Gardai have made huge progress since the launch of Operation Thor last year and we have seen a reduction of one third in burglaries nationwide.
“We now have specific legislation to deal with repeat burglary offenders and particularly the organised gangs who have targeted many rural communities.
“The Government remains fully committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the means to continue to face down criminals and protect communities.”
ENDS
Note for Editors
Funding from the Department of Justice & Equality for Community Alert will increase from €152,000 in 2015 to €350,000 this year.
Local Text Alert groups incur costs from service providers for the distribution of text message to group members, as well as some insurance costs. The new rebate scheme provides a flat-rate €100 payment and this will, on average, amount to about 25% of costs incurred by local groups for distributing text messages. The €100,000 being made available by the Tánaiste will cover the cost of approximately 1.6 million text messages for the distribution of important crime prevention and community safety advice from An Garda Síochána.
Text Alert groups can apply to Muintir na Tire for the rebate as soon as possible and at the latest by the end of October 2016. Applications can be made by completing a simple form which is available at http://muintir.ie/Text-Alert-Rebates/ or on request from rebates@muintir.ie or by calling Muintir na Tire on 062 – 51163.
The Garda Text Alert scheme is an important initiative which allows Gardai to provide important crime prevention messages to local communities. Since it was launched in September 2013 it has developed as an important crime prevention mechanism with over 960 local groups involving 164,000 subscribers and with an estimated 3 million text messages sent last year under the scheme. Every Garda Division, rural and urban, now offers the text alert service and An Garda Síochána has published guidelines to assist in the establishment and operation of local groups.
Muintir na Tire administer the Community Alert Programme in partnership with An Garda Síochána and there are over 1,400 Community Alert Group nationwide. The Department of Justice and Equality provides funding for the national and regional administration of the programme. The majority of Text Alert Groups were established through the Community Alert network.