Laois groups can tap into crime money to fight criminals

Laois communities are being invited to tap into a multi-million euro fund raised from criminality to make the places they live safer.

The Community Safety Innovation was established in April 2021, it uses money seized by the Gardaí and the Criminal Assets Bureau as the proceeds of crime to fund new projects to support community safety.

Last year a total of €2 million was granted across 22 projects, with the fund increasing to €3 million in 2023. Grants will range from €20,000 to €150,000.

The Department of Justice says the aims are to:

• Allow proceeds of crime to be directed into community projects to support community safety
• Ensure that the most appropriate proposals to improve community safety will access the funding they need
• Encourage the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who best understand local community safety needs
• Allow best practice on community safety and youth justice to be shared with other partnerships and communities nationally as new proposals are developed
• Reflect and highlight the success of An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in seizing the proceeds from criminal activity

The Minister for Justice Simon Harris TD opened the fund for applicants in recent weeks.

“The Fund is open to bodies involved in community safety and will support them in addressing local needs and opportunities for innovation not provided for in other funds managed by departments and agencies,” he said.

Completed Application Forms are to be returned by 5pm on 19 May 2023 to [email protected]

For more information visit: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a5d23-2022-community-safety-innovation-fund-funding-call/

The call for applications for the Fund runs from 27 March until Friday 19 May 2023.

Applications are assessed against stated criteria outlined in the call for proposals. This ensures funding is allocated to encourage the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who understand local community safety needs best.