Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020
326. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the funding sources available for community crime prevention organisations, including social enterprises (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12177/20]
View answerI understand that An Garda Síochána has been very supportive of property marking. I am informed that there are strong indications that, where it is used, it acts as a deterrent and enables more efficient identification of stolen property in order to reunite it with its owner.
And so I fully appreciate the value of the type of action referred to by the Deputy, namely marking of property. Whatever method is used, I would encourage people to mark their property - be it farm machinery, bicycles, computers or other personal property - and to consider the advantages of using a unique identifier - such as Eircode - in doing so.
In so far as community funding is concerned, my Department provides funding to Muintir na Tíre for purposes including the Text Alert / Community Alert groups nationwide.
I understand that more substantial community funding is provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development. Further information may be available from that Department in that regard.
Finally, I understand further, from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, that if the entity referred to by the Deputy has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, they may be eligible for the SBCI COVID-19 Working Capital Loan Scheme. This scheme provides for working capital loans for businesses, including non-profit organisations, at competitive interest rates. Further information on the scheme can be found at the SBCI website: https://sbci.gov.ie/
