Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
442. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide details of all funding available from his Department for the purpose of assisting with integration, and to provide a breakdown of the spending and allocation of said funding in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49709/23]
View answerMy Department administers a number of funding streams focused on assisting with integration.
The National Integration Fund (NIF) has the goal of supporting communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants, and is open to organisations operating at regional and national level. Approximately €750,000 is committed per year, subject to the availability of funds. Applications have recently closed for the 2023 round of the fund.
|
Size of grant available |
€25,000 to €200,000 |
|
No. of applicants |
123 |
|
Total funding awarded |
TBC following assessment of applications |
The Communities Integration Fund (CIF) has been in place since 2017 and arises from Action 51 of the Migrant Integration Strategy, which states: “A Communities Integration Fund will be developed to support actions by local communities throughout Ireland to promote the integration of migrants and refugees”. Grant funding of €1,000 to €5,000 is made available for local integration initiatives. Since its inception, the CIF has supported over 820 projects, with grant funding totalling €3.82 million. CIF 2023 awarded 111 organisations once off grant payments, with a total value of €509,415.
|
Size of grant available |
€1,000 to €5,000 |
|
No. of successful applicants |
111 |
|
Total funding awarded |
€509,415 |
My department launched the Ireland Against Racism Fund (IARF) in 2023. In its first year, the IARF has made €1.3 million available to applicant groups operating at national, regional and local level. IARF has the overall objective of providing funding for national and regional projects, as well as local initiatives, that aim to combat racism and foster racial equality and community cohesion. The results of the 2023 funding call were issued in September. A combined total of 24 national & regional projects were successful.
|
Size of grant available |
Scheme A - €50,000 to €100,000Scheme B - €5,000 to €10,000 |
|
No. of successful applicants |
24 |
|
Total funding awarded |
€1,294,291 |
The International Protection Integration Fund (IPIF) supports communities across Ireland so that they can play a greater role in promoting the integration of International Protection applicants. Annually, a minimum of €500,000 is made available to community-based organisations to carry out integration projects at national, provincial or local level. Organisations eligible to apply include local community groups, charities, faith-based groups, schools and cultural organisations. Applicant organisations must operate on a not-for-profit basis.
|
Size of grant available |
€5,000 to €20,000 |
|
No. of successful applicants |
71 |
|
Total funding awarded |
€1,220,776 |
The International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD) Funding Call was a once-off funding call held this year to provide funding to support community organisations hosting local, regional and national events to mark and celebrate the Decade. The IDPAD has been planned by the Department in celebration of the ‘International Decade for People of African Descent’, effective through 2015-2024 under resolution 68/237 of the UN General Assembly.
|
Size of grant available |
€1,000 to €5,000 |
|
No. of successful applicants |
35 |
|
Total funding awarded |
€169,740 |
Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) : DCEDIY is the Managing Authority of the AMIF Programme in Ireland, for the 2021-2027 National Programme and 2014-2020 National Programme. Under Ireland’s national programmes, it is intended to provide a range of supports for International Protection applicants, Programme Refugees, Beneficiaries Of Temporary Protection and other third country nationals arriving in Ireland, ranging from information and assistance with basic needs through to specialist supports in areas such as medical/psychosocial and legal assistance; to delegate and oversee activities via Direct Awards to specialised bodies; and to fund the management of returns of third country nationals to their country of origin, where appropriate.
Table 1 “AMIF 2014-2020 Programme Funding Overview” sets out in in tabular form the spending and allocations of the AMIF 2014-2020 national programme up to October 2023.
Under Ireland’s AMIF 2021-2027 national programme, no spend has been incurred as yet. However, on 20th of October 2023, my Department launched an Open Call for Proposals under this national programme in the amount of €10m, to fund projects providing Reception and Integration supports to third country nationals for a four-year period. The closing date for applicants is 1st December 2023.
Table 1: AMIF 2014-2020 Programme Funding Overview
|
AMIF 2014-2020 Programme Funding Overview |
|||
|
(All amounts €000s) |
Allocation |
TOTAL Claim 2015-2023 |
|
|
Specific objective 1: Asylum |
|||
|
Open Calls |
2016 |
€2,083.45 |
€2,083.45 |
|
2019 |
€2,357.51 |
€1,902.18 |
|
|
2022 |
€1,185.62 |
€ 525.70 |
|
|
Total Calls |
€5,626.58 |
€4,511.33 |
|
|
Direct Awards |
€1,827.49 |
€1,300.55 |
|
|
Specific objective 2: Integration/legal migration |
|||
|
Open Calls |
2016 |
€1,866.69 |
€1,735.88 |
|
2019 |
€2,011.32 |
€1,555.99 |
|
|
2022 |
€ 912.86 |
€ 425.71 |
|
|
Total Calls |
€4,790.87 |
€3,717.58 |
|
|
Direct Awards |
€1,074.52 |
€1,166.36 |
|
|
Specific objective 3: Return |
|||
|
Returns |
€5,650.51 |
€5,050.95 |
|
|
Specific objective 4: Solidarity |
|||
|
Direct Awards |
€2,000.00 |
€1,882.27 |
|
|
Technical Assistance |
€4,051.96 |
€3,388.06 |
|
|
Sub-Total |
€25,021.93 |
€21,017.10 |
|
|
Special Cases |
€30,468.34 |
€28,362.00 |
|
|
Total |
€55,490.27 |
€49,379.10 |
DCEDIY also manages the Integration and Employment of Migrants stream of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) EIST 2021-2027 Programme. This Activity is aimed at legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion. In 2022, my Department launched an Open Call for Proposals under the ESF+ EIST 2021-2027 Programme, where 7 projects were approved total funding of €2.7m for a three-year period:
|
Size of grant available |
Minimum €200,000, No maximum |
|
No. of successful applicants |
7 |
|
Total funding awarded |
€2.7m over three years |
