Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join the Deputy in thanking members of the Garda in Clare and other counties for the work they do in seizing these types of criminal assets from criminal gangs. It has been raised time and time again by the Deputy and many of our colleagues that it would be important to communities to see the assets going directly back into communities which are negatively impacted by these gangs. The fund will be available to all communities.

I anticipate and hope in coming years when we go beyond the three pilots and every county and area has a community safety partnership that it is not just about the structures, but about bringing together the Garda, local communities, education, Tusla and local services. When they set out a plan and identify what they want for their area, I anticipate there will be a fund to tap into to develop new programmes. The fund is not meant to replace existing streams but to identify new ways to support communities. The fund is open to everybody for now and I anticipate in years to come each community partnership will be able to apply directly to the fund.

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