Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Earlier this year I had the proceeds of crime Bill pass Second Stage, which would see money seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, put back into disadvantaged communities. The Government copied part of this Bill and introduced the community safety innovation fund. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but not in this case. Most of the money seized by CAB has been ripped from communities where criminals have been most active, like parts of my area. It must, therefore, be returned to these communities. Six applications from my area, Dublin Mid-West, were sent in for this fund, including a local horse project and an addiction centre. Will the Minister explain how there was not one successful applicant in the whole of Dublin Mid-west, part of which constituency has been torn apart by drug use and criminality over the years?

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