Deputy Mark Ward: I move amendment No. 1:

In page 13, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:

“(c) the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (5):

“(5A) In carrying out the powers conferred by subsection (5), the Minister shall—

(a) ensure that a review of the financial supports to disadvantaged communities, identified in the Pobal HP Deprivation Index, that are affected by crime, is conducted in public consultation with individuals and stakeholders,

(b) ensure that such a review is undertaken every 24 months at a minimum, or more frequently, at the discretion of the Minister, and a report on the review is laid before each House of the Oireachtas,

(c) ensure that the report laid before each House of the Oireachtas identifies any additional financial supports, other than that provided in the annual budget, that may be provided to disadvantaged communities as in paragraph (a) affected by crime in order to alleviate the impact of crime and prevent future criminal behaviour, including the funding of targeted youth educational and development initiatives where appropriate,

(d) give due consideration to the recommendations of any review carried out under this subsection and prioritise, where possible, the use of monies realised in the making of disposal orders under this section for the purposes identified in the review, and (e) ensure that a report on the use of monies realised in the making of disposal orders under this Act is laid before each House of the Oireachtas on an annual basis.”,”.

Sinn Féin supports the overall aims of this Bill. Anything that reduces the amount of time it takes for the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, to take money and assets from organised criminals is welcome. It is something that should probably have been done long ago.

For this amendment, I went back to recommendation 15 of the report of the justice committee on the issue, which stated: "The Committee recommends further examination of the use of funds recovered from proceeds of crime and how such funds could be invested ... through the provision of preventative supports within communities." It is those preventative supports that I am aiming at

Sinn Féin has long advocated that the money taken by CAB should be reinvested in the communities that are most hit and affected by crime. In fact, my colleague, Deputy Ó Snodaigh, first raised this matter in the Dáil 15 years ago. I and Deputy Ó Murchú had a Bill in 2021, the contents of which were the same as this amendment. That Bill passed Second Stage. We are looking to see that the money taken by CAB is put into the most disadvantaged communities.

It has been long proven that disadvantaged communities are more vulnerable to crime and drug use. There is a direct link between poverty, crime and addiction. One of the ways that we can determine a disadvantaged area or an extremely disadvantaged area is through the Pobal deprivation index. The latest deprivation index was published in 2023 and stated that despite nationwide improvements in deprivation measures, the gaps between Ireland's most disadvantaged areas and the national average have increased. There are almost 200,000 people now living in areas that are classed as very or extremely disadvantaged. I would like to see the money recovered by CAB redirected into those communities.

As I said, the most recent Pobal deprivation index was published in 2023. The previous one was published in 2016. In those seven years, there were notable changes for the worse in some of the areas that I represent. North Clondalkin, for example, is an area of disadvantage. I do not need the Pobal index to tell me that because it is the area in which I grew up. It is a great place, and it was a great place to grow up, but it was also a tough place to grow up. We have had great community spirit over the years despite the problems we experience on a daily basis. There was a lack of amenities and infrastructure. There was a lack of employment opportunities. When I would go for a job as a young person, I would have to give the address of a relative who did not live in the area so I might have a chance of an interview, such was the stigma of living in the area. There is a history of early school leaving, youth crime and organised crime in our area. Addiction is rife throughout.

In 2016, when the deprivation index was published - I have the map in my hand and can give it to the Minister - only one estate in north Clondalkin was designated "extremely disadvantaged". Fast forward from 2016 to 2023 and six more housing estates were added to that designation. Things have got worse over the years. In fact, things are regressing. The whole area, bar one estate, is either very or extremely disadvantaged. It is areas such as those that need to be targeted by the community safety fund.

We welcome the community safety fund, as I said. We have advocated for it for a long time. We want to ensure that it goes to the areas that need it the most. For the very first roll-out of the community safety fund, six front-line organisations in my area, which are dedicated to tackling crime, drug use and poverty, applied to the fund but not one of them was successful. I looked at the 42 successful applications in the most recent round of applications to the community safety fund and I must say there are some really worthy organisations included. I will not stand up here and say that the organisations that got funding did not deserve it. However, I will give one example of an organisation that got funding. I noticed that €142,000 from the community safety fund went to the FAI. I have been involved in soccer clubs in my area for years. In all my years working and organising in a disadvantaged area, and volunteering as a soccer coach and manager, I have never seen the FAI give us any support whatsoever. In clubs such as Collinstown Football Club, girls and boys are getting changed on the side of the pitch because they have no dressing rooms. There is not one Astroturf pitch in the whole of north Clondalkin. This week, we have heard that the FAI is cutting its measly contribution of €10,000 per player development programme with the education and training board, ETB. That funding is being cut, which will have an impact right across disadvantaged areas. A little known fact is that Roy Keane was one of the first people to go through the ETB in Collinstown school in Dublin, believe it or not, even through he is from Cork. Other players who went through that programme include Abbie Larkin from Ringsend and Pico Lopes, who is going over to represent his country....

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