A member of the Seanad is urging rural community groups to apply for the Community Safety Fund 2025, which has been announced by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.

The annual fund allows for the proceeds of crime, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and An Garda Síochána, to be directed into local projects to support and enhance community safety.

This year, €4 million is available, which is double the original allocation of €2 million when the fund first opened for applications in 2022, and grants range from €20,000 to €150,000.

The call for the Community Safety Fund is open for six weeks, starting from yesterday (Monday, April 7), up to Friday, May 16.

The fund allows proceeds of crime to be directed into projects to support and enhance community safety.

Victor Boyhan, a member of the agricultural vocational panel in the Seanad, called for rural community groups to apply for the fund, as benefitting rural areas is part of the criteria on which grant applications may be judged.

The criteria against which the grant applications will be assessed include the degree to which the proposed project will benefit community safety and youth justice, with particular regard to disadvantaged communities, rural areas, and groups at risk of marginalisation and discrimination, where relevant.

In 2024, over €3 million was allocated to projects nationwide. Themes from 2024 successful applicants included projects aimed at addressing anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, drug-related intimidation, social exclusion, youth programmes, and prison post-release support.

Many of the projects focused on education, sport, recreation, and social interaction to proactively address safety concerns in communities.

Commenting on the fund, Minister O' Callaghan said: "The Community Safety Fund is an important part of my overall objective to build stronger and safer communities. It takes the money seized from criminals and puts it directly back into community safety initiatives.

“Investing this money into the communities provides that tangible and direct link between law enforcement and building stronger, safer communities," he added.

Applications are invited from community safety initiatives as well as groups co-funded with local authorities, non-governmental organisations, and community organisations working on issues relevant to community safety and youth justice.

Applications may be submitted by individual organisations, or by a consortium involving two or more organisations where the lead partner is a community organisation, not-for-profit, social enterprise or similar, with a remit relevant to community safety or youth justice.

Applications with innovative approaches will be afforded particular consideration.