Funding taken from the proceeds of crime is now being reinvested directly into communities, and Charleville is one of the first towns to benefit.
Ballyhoura Development CLG welcomed Niall Collins, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, to the Charleville Park Hotel on 25 February for the official launch of a new community-based Social Safety Approach.
The initiative is funded through the Community Safety Fund, which uses assets seized from criminal activity and redirects them into projects aimed at strengthening communities.
Minister Collins said the challenges facing towns like Charleville are “very real” and confirmed the purpose of the fund is to ensure money linked to crime is “put back into productive use for the communities that have been impacted.”
The new approach builds on the ongoing CITICESS and Ballyhoura Breakthrough pilot programmes in the Northside Estates of Charleville, including Batt Donegan Place and Hillview Drive. The focus is on preventative action, stronger coordination between services, and sustained engagement with families experiencing complex challenges
Early findings from the pilot highlight the importance of trust-building, flexible responses and joined-up agency work, with initial signs showing families moving from crisis toward greater stability.
However, Ballyhoura Development noted that both programmes are time-limited and will require continued support beyond 2027 to maintain momentum.
The briefing reinforced the role of Ballyhoura as a coordinating local organisation working alongside residents, Cork County Council and partner agencies to strengthen community safety from the ground up.
