Funding cuts to leave Southsiders powerless

THE loss of community safety forum workers on the
Southside will leave people feeling powerless in the face of anti-social
behaviour and crime associated with the drugs trade, according to local
activists.

Four workers in Tallaght and Clondalkin who act as
intermediaries between locals and the gardai, South Dublin County Council and
other statutory bodies in an attempt to tackle crime are due to lose their jobs
because of cutbacks.

The four staff, who also cover parts of Lucan and
Palmerstown, were put on protective notice recently following a decision by the
Department of Environment to cut funding by 75 per cent. The department has
indicated that it will cut the remaining 25 per cent of the funding for the
posts by the end of March.

The four staff were funded through the Tallaght
Fettercairn Estate Management Group, the Tallaght Killinarden Estate Management
Group and the Clondalkin Community Forum.

Noreen Byrne, a community representative at the
Clondalkin Drugs Taskforce, said one of the primary objectives of the community
safety forum in Clondalkin was to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour
associated with the drugs problem in the area.

She told how local people, who suffered from drug
related problems and anti-social behaviour could sit down with gardai, the
council and a community safety forum worker in a bid to address their concerns.

However, she said that now the community safety worker
post was being removed, people in the area would be considerably more reluctant
to bring up these issues with the authorities.

“People will feel very powerless,

? she said.

“Up to
now they knew they could come to the community safety forum worker and that
person would take the lead.

“Some people have said they wouldn’t go to a local
Garda station as they would be afraid for their lives.

?

She added:

“This will have a major impact as it will
remove a structure whereby people had a place to voice their concerns.

?

Anna Lee, the chairperson of the Tallaght Drugs
Taskforce, said the removal of funding for the posts would undermine the
confidence that the community safety forum workers had established in the area.

“The decision by the Department of the
Environment to remove the funding is very unsatisfactory,

? she said.

“You are taking out key posts where these workers act
as a resource and a support to community members who have concerns and
anxieties.

“They also have very close working relationships with
a number of statutory partners and have built up a considerable expertise in
building confidence in their own community.

?

Sinn Fein activist, Eoin O’Broin, has called on the
Government to immediately reverse the cuts.

“This is a serious blow to community,

? he said.

“Not
only will the individuals lose their jobs but local people will lose vital
services that will not be replaced. The minister responsible must reverse this
decision.

?

A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment
said it would provide funding of

?¬52,500 to South Dublin County Council to
support project costs for the first quarter of 2012 only.

According to the spokesperson, the department intends
to initiate a consultation process with South Dublin County Council, the
relevant local drugs taskforces, the Department of Health and the HSE to
address the matter.

The spokesperson said the process would attempt to
identify alternative funding mechanisms for the projects for 2012 and beyond.

“It will be a matter for all the public funding
bodies, as part of the consultation process, to identify resources to deliver
on the overall objectives of the reconfigured projects beyond end March 2012,

?
the spokesman said