Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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526. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide a report on the community safety innovation fund, including the number of groups that applied, the number that were successful and the amount in funding that was allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47875/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The development of the Community Safety Innovation Fund is a key commitment under Justice Plan 2022 which will have a significant impact on the development of community safety projects throughout the country.  

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department opened applications for the new Community Safety Innovation Fund on 11 April 2022.

The new fund will use money seized from the proceeds of crime to support investment in innovative community safety projects. This a fitting reflection of the successful work of An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in identifying and seizing proceeds from criminal activity.

The fund has an initial allocation of €2 million under Budget 2022, with a further allocation of €3 million secured under Budget 2023, and I expect this funding to grow in future to continue to reflect the successes of An Garda Síochána, the Criminal Assets Bureau and other agencies involved in denying criminal elements the benefits of their enterprises. Of course, any future allocations to the fund will be subject to the usual budgetary processes.

An information webinar was held on 30 May to provide information for potential applicants to the scheme and had over 130 attendees.

The new Community Safety Innovation Fund closed for applications for its first year of operation on June 8 2022. I can confirm that my Department received 124 applications from a diverse range of organisations seeking to access funding for innovative projects to improve community safety.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their applications in the coming weeks with grants made to the successful applicants soon thereafter and, as such, the Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to confirm the number of successful applicants until such time as the process is complete and all applicants have been informed by my Department of their application status.