Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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257. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the costs associated with the establishment of the community safety innovation fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17245/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, in 2021 I announced the creation of the Community Safety Innovation Fund (CSIF) to reinvest proceeds of crime funds returned to the exchequer by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) back into communities, in order to fund innovative local projects aimed at building stronger, safer communities. The fund had an initial allocation of €2m in 2022, which increased to €3m in 2023, and the fund was further increased to €3.75m in Budget 2024.

Investing this money back into the community is a tangible way of showing that there can be a direct link between the activities of law enforcement and building stronger, safer communities. The Minister for Justice expects to launch the call for applications for CSIF 2024 later this year. The fund encourages and supports the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who best understand the needs in their locality.

I can advise the Deputy that, because the establishment and launch of the CSIF involved the work of a number of different units within my Department, and was done as part of the broader work of the officials involved, it is not possible to give an exact figure for the cost of establishing the fund, as these costs cannot be separated from the general costs of running the units involved.

I can further advise the Deputy that in 2022, the CSIF paid out €1,623,392.60 to successful projects, and €2,862,478.68 in 2023.