Who says crime doesn’t pay?

SETU and Carlow Co Council’s ‘Bystander Intervention Training Programme’ has received a €142,500 grant as part of the Community Safety Fund (CSF), which redirects the proceeds of crime seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau and the gardaí.

In total, 42 community safety projects across the country will be supported by the fund, with grants ranging from €20,000 to €150,000.

Following the announcement, Carlow/Kilkenny TD Catherine Callaghan said: “Redirecting the proceeds of crime into community safety isn’t just a smart policy, it’s justice in action.” 

This year’s total allocation is €4.4 million, which is a 33% increase on the €3 million that was awarded in 2024, with grants ranging from €20,000 to €150,000.’’ 

In the announcement, minister for justice, home affairs and migration Jim O’Callaghan said the CSF is an example of how the gardaí can not only disrupt criminal networks but also “directly contribute to building stronger and safer communities”.

Minister O’Callaghan also said that he had secured an increase in funding for the CSF in 2026, bringing the available allocation to €4.75 million.

The CSF funding call invited applications from community safety initiatives, including those co-founded with local authorities, NGOs and community organisations working on issues relevant to community safety. Successful projects this year focused on a wide range of issues, such as domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, countering drug-related intimidation, addiction recovery and violence reduction.