Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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478. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of discussions that have taken place within her Department notwithstanding the creation of the community safety innovation fund on whether monies seized under the statutory remit of the Criminal Assets Bureau will be redirected to local frontline community services in areas most affected by criminality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44447/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Minister McGrath and Minister McEntee have agreed, in principle, to establish the new Community Safety Innovation Fund. The scheme, when established, will consider applications to allocate funds to community safety projects and other policy initiatives in the area including the work of the new Local Community Safety Partnerships.

This new fund will reflect the significant successes of An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in disrupting criminal activity and seizing proceeds of crime, by providing additional funding for investment in community safety projects.

The details of how the fund will be allocated will be finalised as part of the budgetary process. All monies seized by CAB are remitted to the Central Fund of the Exchequer after the appropriate statutory time frame under the Proceeds of Crime Act (currently seven years must elapse from date of seizure to remittance to the Exchequer). As the Deputy will be aware, management of the Central Fund is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and rests outside of my remit.