Westmeath applications sought for the Community Safety Fund

Local community safety initiatives across Westmeath can now apply for the 2024 round of the Community Safety Fund, which reinvests proceeds of crime seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) back into local communities.

The fund was announced in April 2021 and during the following year, it provided funding of €2 million across 22 successful projects. The initiative also provided funding of €3 million across 30 projects.

Under budget 2024, €3.75 million has been allocated to the Community Safety Fund 2024.

Applications are invited from community safety and youth justice initiatives, either from individual organisations or groups led by community organisations, not-for-profits, or social enterprises, with a preference for innovative approaches.

Maria Walsh, MEP for Midlands-North West and candidate in the upcoming European elections, welcomed the news saying: “Community projects across the constituency, chosen for their work on issues relevant to community safety and youth justice, could receive grants ranging from €20,000 - €150,000 under the Community Safety Fund this year.

“It is an innovative means of redirecting funds back into our communities while highlighting the work undertaken by An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau to seize proceeds from criminal activity.” she said

The funding call is open from May 30 to July 26. Further information on applying is available on the gov.ie website.

“I would love to see projects from across Midlands-North West benefit as much as possible from this funding, and so I encourage all organisations or initiatives that fit the criteria to apply,” Maria Walsh MEP concluded.