Almost €100,000 in funding for Safe Ireland Mayo to support domestic violence prevention
Safe Ireland Mayo has been allocated €97,062 under the Community Safety Fund.
The Community Safety Fund redirects the proceeds of crime seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau and An Garda Síochána back into local communities.
This year's national fund totals €4.4 million and will support 42 community safety projects across the country.
Safe Ireland Mayo, based in Castlebar, works to support women, young people, and children to escape coercive controlling relationships and find safety from domestic, sexual, gender, and sexuality-based violence.
The project in Mayo will be developed in partnership with An Garda Síochána.
Safe Ireland Mayo is one of 37 domestic abuse service operations across Ireland. These services are free, confidential and available to all women.
The organisation aims to raise awareness of the impacts of domestic abuse and drive long-term social change.
Their approach focuses on changing social behaviour and attitudes and working towards establishing a whole-system response to domestic violence.
Safe Ireland has also played a leading role in legal reform. The organisation's advocacy contributed to the Domestic Violence Act 2018, which made coercive control, including psychological abuse and controlling behaviour within relationships, a criminal offence that now carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Another part of the Community Safety Fund is helping to establish Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs) across Ireland.
Mayo County Council is currently setting up an LCSP to help identify safety priorities and align funding with local community needs.
The group will bring together community organisations, An Garda Síochána, and the local authority to address the specific safety challenges facing Mayo.
Minister of State and Mayo TD Alan Dillon, said he was delighted to see Mayo benefitting from the fund.
Minister Dillon said the funding "will make a real difference in supporting families impacted by domestic violence and promoting trauma-informed approaches to safety."
"This is a powerful example of how national funding can directly support local needs," he added.
Minister for Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, welcomed the funding and wished Safety Ireland Mayo every success now and in the future.
The Safe Ireland Mayo Women's Support Services operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a year.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.