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Community Safety projects allocated €3 million
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€3 million worth of funding for 33 projects through the Community Safety Fund was announced today. The aim of the fund is to allow the proceeds of crime, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and An Garda Síochána, to be directed into local community safety projects. Grants ranging from €27,000 to €183,000 have been awarded to organisations and community groups that have made proposals to improve community safety.
Some themes of this year’s successful applicants include projects aimed at addressing anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, drug-related intimidation, safety on public transport, social exclusion, youth programmes, prison post-release support and more. Many of the projects will focus on the use of education, sport, recreation, and social interaction to proactively address safety concerns in communities.
Funding has also been provided this year for Community Safety Wardens projects on a pilot basis in both Limerick and Cork, along with continued funding for Community Safety Wardens in Dublin’s Wolfe Tone Park. Community Safety Wardens help promote pro social behaviour in the community and link in with support services, businesses and members of the public to better understand specific concerns in the area.
Minister McEntee today visited the Ballyfermot Youth Service, who will be receiving funding of €150,000 through the Community Safety Fund for their project ‘Outdoor Education in the City’. The project will use the funding to employ two outdoor education instructors to work with disaffected young people in the Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard areas alongside a comprehensive range of programmes for young people. They will utilise three unique facilities: the Skatepark and BMX HUB in Le Fanu Park, the Adventure Centre in Park West Industrial Estate, and a Residential Centre in Wicklow, which they propose to use for respite and training young people in various skills.
Minister McEntee said:
"At the heart of our approach to community safety is the principle that every community has the right to thrive and flourish. This funding will help the people who best understand the safety needs of their community to develop proposals to make a real positive difference. The successful projects have demonstrated their understanding of the safety needs in their community and put forward strong proposals which I believe will lead to improved safety in their areas.
"The Community Safety Fund is an important element in achieving our overall objective to build stronger, safer communities. I want this fund to grow further in the future so that we share the learnings from these projects with other communities across the country."
All grants under the Community Safety Fund are subject to the terms and conditions as set out in the Funding Call.