The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan has today (Wednesday) announced that his department will be providing additional financial support to Community Text Alert Groups in 2017.
The Rebate Scheme, which also ran in 2016, will allow Text Alert Groups registered with An Garda Síochána to apply for funding to contribute towards their yearly running costs.
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships,Minister Flanagan said, “The Text Alert Rebate Scheme which will be available to almost 1,000 local groups registered under the Garda Text Alert Scheme. My Department will be making in the region of €100,000 available to local communities who wish to apply for a rebate towards the costs associated with running their local scheme. We are also assisting in the prevention and detection oflocal crime through the recently announced grant-aid scheme to assist the establishment of community-based CCTV systems. This scheme will run for three years, with up to €1million being made available for each year of the scheme to assist local communities.
“The provision of CCTV schemes will assist in the prevention and reduction of local crime, disorder and anti-social activity and increase community involvement to prevent and reduce crime in local areas. The use of these technologies will help in the fight against rural crime.”
