Longford projects to benefit from reinvestment of proceeds of crime seized by CAB
Longford is to benefit from the allocation of grants totalling €2 million to successful applicants to the Community Safety Innovation Fund.
This is the first round of grants given out since Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath established the Community Safety Innovation Fund – which reinvests the proceeds of crime seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau in local projects to build stronger, safer communities.
Twenty-two community projects across the country are set to benefit from grants ranging from €5,000 to €150,000, which will support the delivery of innovative projects to improve community safety in their local areas.
Longford LCSP (Local Community Safety Partnership) will receive €137,500 and Longford Women's Link is to be allocated €20,686.
LWL successfully applied for funding for their project ‘Responding to the risk of Domestic Violence Homicide in Rural Ireland’.
This project will consist of training and a series of interagency workshops to develop communication strategies and standard operating procedures that will support victims and also support the development of strong interagency links aimed at mitigating the risk of domestic violence homicide in rural Ireland.
The agencies that will participate in the Project will include An Garda Síochána, Domestic Violence Services and Child Protection services and other practitioners in the criminal justice systems in the Longford area.
The initial stages of the training will be delivered by LWL Domestic Violence Service and will be entitled ‘What Coercive Control looks like to the untrained eye’. In addition, renowned coercive control expert Professor Jane Monckton Smith from the University of Gloucestershire will provide face-to-face training for Longford front line responders to Domestic Abuse and coercive control.
Following the conclusion of the workshops and training sessions, the Forum will produce a final report which will address the gap in interagency communication and procedures that are currently being exploited by skilful perpetrators of violence to women and children in Longford and rural communities across the country.
Minister McEntee said, “I am delighted to see Longford Women’s Link benefit from this funding which will allow them to progress their project on responding to the risk of domestic homicide in rural Ireland. This will deliver training to key stakeholders on responding to coercive control and domestic abuse, and help strengthen interagency links aimed at mitigating the risk of domestic violence and domestic homicide.”
Senator Micheal Carrigy said, “It is great to see money which has been seized by CAB from criminals in Longford been spent on projects within the county.
"The €137,500 allocated to the Local Community Safety Partnership will go towards a number of projects including; Community Safety roadshow trailer; equipment for the Ardnacassa Community Hub; Sporting Opportunities Project; Developing a Restorative Communities approach in Longford and This is Longford/ Strength in Diversity documentary.”
Main photo caption: The Longford Community Safety Plan 2022-2024 was launched recently by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD and pictured are front row l to r; Pozy Greene, Longford Public Participation Network; Tara Farrell, Longford Public Participation Network; Helen McEntee TD; Longford Public Participation Network Development Officer Siobhan Cronogue; Francesca Pawelczyk, Longford Public Participation Network. Back; Aneta Safiak, Longford Public Participation Network; Chief Executive Paddy Mahon; Cathaoirleach Cllr Turlough McGovern; Kathleen Dowd, Longford Public Participation Network; Karen Walsh, Longford Public Participation Network Picture: Shelley Corcoran