€4.4m Community Safety Fund for 42 community projects

Today the allocation of €4.4 million through the Community Safety Fund to 42 community safety projects nationwide was announced.

The Community Safety Fund redirects proceeds of crime seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and An Garda Siochana back into communities.

This year’s allocation is a 33% increase on the €3 million awarded in 2024.

The Fund will support 42 community safety projects across the country. This is almost double the number of projects funded by the first Community Safety Fund in 2022.

Successful projects this year focus on a broad range of thematic areas that include domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV); countering drug related intimidation; addiction recovery and substance misuse; and violence reduction.

Youth support, community reintegration of offenders; trauma informed and restorative approaches as well as initiatives supporting minority or marginalised groups have also been funded.

Minister O’Callaghan visited the YMCA Dublin on Aungier Street, who will receive €142,500 for their ‘Community Wellbeing and Safety Initiative’. This project will support safer, more connected communities through a combined research and outreach approach.

The project will engage vulnerable youth from the Dublin 2, 8 and 13 areas focusing on relationship-building, outreach, and responses to safety identified by local residents.

A National Office for Community Safety has been established which has responsibility for administering the Community Safety Fund. This Office is also providing support, training and guidance to Local Community Safety Partnerships, which are being rolled out nationwide at present.