Drug-related intimidation and other policing issues will be discussed at a public meeting in Cavan today involving the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA) and the Garda Commissioner.

The meeting, scheduled for 2.30pm, will be attended by Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly, PCSA Chair Elaine Byrne, and senior gardaí. It will be streamed on the PCSA's YouTube channel.

Topics on the agenda include the police response to mental health crises, cross-border cooperation, and children missing from care, including human trafficking.

The PCSA is an independent statutory agency responsible for oversight of An Garda Síochána. It was established in April last year, replacing the Policing Authority and Garda Síochána Inspectorate.

The meeting follows engagement between PCSA staff and local community organisations in Cavan to gather views on policing performance and community safety. Issues raised included drug dealing, rural crime, and policing visibility.

PCSA staff also visited eight garda stations and nine units in the Cavan division. Challenges identified included drug-related intimidation, the size of the division, and garda resources.

PCSA CEO Helen Hall said the authority has a strong focus on drug-related intimidation. She noted that while a recent assessment found An Garda Síochána continues to be successful in identifying, targeting, and disrupting organised crime groups, drug-related intimidation remains a significant problem.

The meeting comes after an arson attack in Waterford last month in which four people died. Hall said the authority would continue to press An Garda Síochána on its response to intimidation, coercion, and the grooming of people into organised crime.