Crime Pays The Price A Over €277,000 In Funding Secured For Local Porjects In Dublin North West Through Community Safety Fund 2026

I welcome confirmation of over €277,000 in funding allocated through the Community Safety Fund, to projects in Dublin 9 and 11.

The Fund which allows for the proceeds of crime, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and An Garda Síochána, to be redirected into local projects that support and enhance community safety will see a funding boost for projects at the Finglas Youth Resource Centre, Ballymun Community Law Centre and BITE (Ballymun Initiative for Third Level Education).

The Community Safety Fund allocations announced this morning means that money that would otherwise have been siloed to criminality can go directly to communities like Finglas and Ballymun, that often bear the brunt of criminal activity.

Projects in our area include ‘Safe Spaces - Safe Futures’ at the Finglas Youth Resource Centre which was allocated €119,800 in funding for an early intervention community safety initiative that engages Traveller young people and families in improving their local environments. BITE in Ballymun are also due receive €72,200 for ‘BITEsize’, a project which will engage primary age children (8 – 12 years old) in an early intervention programme based around the issues such as anti-social behaviour that this age group face being identified as a vulnerable group.

Elsewhere in Dublin North West, Ballymun Community Law Centre will receive €85,500 for the ‘Ballymun Restorative Practice Hub’ which hopes to help people resolve conflicts early and prevent problems from getting worse with issues such as neighbour disputes, bullying and anti-social behaviour.

The Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan has done incredible work on this initiative. The Community Safety Fund has grown from strength-to-strength by targeting communities that need it most and this year’s fund of €4.75 million is a significant increase since the fund's inception in 2022.

I want to commend each of the groups who worked very hard and thoughtfully mapped out the various projects. A significant amount of work goes into applying for this fund. Projects in receipt of funding will make a significant contribution to our community by supporting and enhancing community safety. It also shows that the hard work of Gardaí and law enforcement agencies helps build stronger and safer communities by funding projects that make a real difference to the people of Dublin and groups across the country.