Communities affected by crime should get bigger cut of Community Safety Fund says Ward

Sinn Féin spokesperson for Dublin, Community Safety and Youth Justice, Mark Ward 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.

However, areas most affected by crime are not prioritised directly according to Ward.

The Dublin Mid-West TD broadly welcomed the scheme, saying it is “welcome news” and has encouraged groups to apply, but he said that the areas most affected by crime are not being prioritised for funding

“I have raised the issue that the areas most affected by crime, where often the money seized by CAB had originated from, are not prioritised for funding,” he said.

“These are the communities most in need to build resilience to criminal activity.”

“Sinn Féin has always 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.”

Ward said that the funding should be used for local sports club, youth clubs, employment centres, universities and other community services.

“In the last Dáil, I had brought 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,” he noted.

“The government’s Community Safety Fund is a positive move forward, but it does not go far enough. The Minister must ensure that it goes into community groups who are on the front line of keeping our young people away from crime.

“More needs to be done to build resilience in our communities to tackle the causes of crime; it does not happen by accident that most of the money seized by CAB originates in areas that are highly disadvantaged.”

“It is important the areas of highest disadvantage are funded to be the most resilient to crime,” Ward said.