Communities most affected by crime should be prioritised for Community Safety Funding – Mark Ward TD
10 April 2025
Sinn Féin spokesperson for Dublin, Community Safety and Youth Justice, Mark Ward TD, has called for areas most affected by crime to be prioritised for funding from the Community Safety Fund.
This funding comes from money seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and is allocated based on applications from local community groups. Areas most affected by crime are not directly prioritised.
Teachta Ward said:
“It is welcome news that €4 million is available for local community groups from the Community Safety Fund.
“The application process is now open, and I would encourage groups to apply.
“I raised concern that the areas most affected by crime, where often the money seized by CAB originated from, are not prioritized for funding.
“These are the communities that are most in need of resources, to strengthen their resilience against criminal activity.
“Sinn Féin has long advocated that any money seized by CAB be ring-fenced and put back into communities to tackle disadvantage and to fund prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services in the fight against drugs.
“This fund should also be used for local sports clubs, youth clubs, employment centres, universities and other valuable services in our communities.
“In the previous Dáil term, I brought forward my own Bill, ‘The Proceeds of Crime (Investment in Disadvantaged Communities) (Amendment) Bill’. This Bill would have seen the money seized by CAB reinvested into the areas most affected by crime.
“The Government’s Community Safety Fund is a positive step forward, however it does not go far enough. The Minister must ensure that funding goes to community groups who are on the front line of keeping our young people away from crime.
“More must be done to build resilience in our communities to tackle the causes of crime.
“It is no coincidence that most of the money seized by CAB originates in highly disadvantaged areas.
“It is crucial that the most disadvantaged areas receive the support they need to become the most resilient to crime.”
Link to Community Safety Fund website here.
