Guarded welcome for additional PCSP funding

The chairperson of Derry Derry and Strabane Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) has given a guarded welcome of an additional funding from the Department of Justice and Northern Ireland Policing Board.

Sinn Fein Cllr Eric McGinley (pictured) welcomed the further provision of £1.5 million support to the North’s PCSPs, with Derry and Strabane receiving £179,306.

However, he said he was “disappointed” the funding was only be awarded now with a spend deadline of 31 March next He said would put additional pressure on PCSP staff and “delivery partners” to allocate and spend the money before the end of the financial year.

He added: “I would also point out that this funding added to what we received in September is still over £60,000 short of the indicative allocation we were due to receive from the Joint Committee for 2015/16.

“The PCSP will continue to work with our partners to improve policing and deliver safer shared and confident communities for all our citizens.” Supporting Cllr McGinley’s comments, PCSP vice-chair Margaret McLaughlin vice-chair of the PCSP the spend deadlines were “extremely tight.” She added: “The PCSP did not receive any confirmation of funding until September this year which meant we were unable to support the valuable work carried out in communities over the summer months. However, we will carry on working with all agencies to make our council area a safer place to live work and visit.”