Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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775. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the expected timeframe in which the criteria for the new community safety innovation fund will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53334/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Budget 2022 provides for the establishment of the new Community Safety Innovation Fund. This fund will reflect the success of the Criminal Assets Bureau and other agencies by using money seized from the proceeds of crime to support investment in community safety projects. The fund, which is expected to grow in the coming years, will have an initial outlay of €2m.

A call for funding proposals will issue, seeking applications for community safety projects and similar initiatives from bodies involved in community safety, such as the new Local Community Safety Partnerships – pilots of which are in place in North Inner City Dublin, Waterford and Longford – and the Drogheda Implementation Board, as well as similar entities nationwide.

Applications will be assessed against criteria outlined in the call for proposals. The criteria and the process for allocating funding are currently under consideration and should be concluded in the coming weeks.

It is intended that the Community Innovation Safety Fund will ensure that the best proposals to improve community safety will get the funding they need, and that the fund will encourage the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who understand local community safety needs best. The roll out of the fund will allow best practice on community safety to be shared with other partnerships around the country as new proposals get developed.