27 September 2018
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The Government has allocated funding for community text alert schemes to help prevent crime in West Cork, Cork South West Fine Gael TD and Minister of State Jim Daly has said.
Jim Daly TD, Junior Minister for Mental Health and Older People
Picture: David Keane
Minister Daly said: “Community groups working to prevent crime in West Cork can now apply for funding under the 2018 Text Alert Rebate Scheme, to assist them in their work.
This scheme allows Text Alert Groups registered with An Garda Síochána to apply for a rebate towards the costs associated with running their local Text Alert Scheme.”
The initiative has developed as an important crime prevention mechanism with over 600 local groups across the country involving in excess of 120,000 subscribers and with an estimated 200,000 text messages sent each month under the scheme.
Minister Daly concluded by saying, “We have all seen the informative text messages that are sent out by community groups to it’s members warning them of suspicious activity in their area and reminding them to remain vigilant.
This new fund of €150,000 for Text Alert will help community groups working to prevent crime across West Cork. I commend all the local groups already working in tandem with local Gardaí to provide a safer community for all those who live here.”
For more information on how local groups in West Cork can apply for the funding they should make contact with Muintir na Tíre on 021 450 0688 or visit their website www.muintir.ie.
