Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2011
63 Deputy Shane Ross asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of State funding directly or indirectly that has been paid to fund trade unions, related bodies or trade union interests or causes in the past decade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21129/11]
View answerA number of trade unions and related bodies have received funding from my Department through the Irish Aid programme and the reconciliation and anti-sectarianism funds. My Department operates reconciliation and anti-sectarianism funds, the objective of which is to assist individuals and organisations involved in reconciliation work and to encourage and facilitate better relations within and between the Nationalist-republican and Unionist-loyalist traditions on the island of Ireland and also relations between Ireland and Britain. Each year, applications to the funds are received from a broad range of organisations and groups.
Over the past decade, funding has been awarded in support of ongoing initiatives by the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to promote anti-sectarianism within workplaces and at community levels, including through training of community leaders in areas of weak infrastructure. In consultation with my Department, this funding has also been directed towards other small projects, run by local community organisations, which are designed to foster reconciliation and combat sectarianism in and between communities. The total amount of funding awarded to the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions since 1999 is €690,230 and the last such award from the Reconciliation Fund was made in 2010.
Further grants from the Reconciliation Fund have also been awarded to the Northern Ireland Trade Union Education and Social Centre (also incorporating Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre) as established in 1984 by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Law Centre (NI), the Workers Education Association and Belfast City Council. NITUESC promotes reconciliation by offering cross community and cross-Border education opportunities in relation to common social and economic issues and specific conflict-related issues. The total amount involved is €300,000 and the last such award was also made in 2010.
The Irish Aid programme is administered through my Department's Development Cooperation Division.
Prior to 2004, State funding for development education was provided through the National Committee for Development Education. The funding was provided to promote deeper public understanding of global development issues. It includes support for the Global Solidarity Programme of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) which aims to deepen understanding within the trade union movement of global development and labour-related issues, including child labour. In 2008, funding to the ICTU included an allocation of €20,000 to strengthen the capacity of trade unions in Lesotho.
Funding of €74,022.65 has been provided to the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) to develop educational programmes and resources for primary schools and to deliver courses on development education for teachers on themes including child labour, human rights and trade. The INTO also received funding of €103,042 in 2005 for an education and training project in Nicaragua.
Support of €56,487.39 has also been provided through Irish Aid for the education programme of the Irish Coalition for the Campaign for Global Education. The coalition is chaired by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland and involves trade unions and non-governmental organisations. The aim of the education programme is to increase awareness and understanding of global issues among post-primary students and teachers with a particular emphasis on the second Millennium Development Goal — education. Other unions involved in the coalition include the INTO, ICTU and the Teachers Union of Ireland.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) as a specialised agency of the UN works with national governments, employers' and workers' organisations to promote decent work for all. Irish Aid has had a Partnership Programme with the ILO since 2001. The overall objective of the programme has been to create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment and income in developing countries. Irish Aid has provided €20.8 million to activities under the Partnership Programme since its initiation.
The first two phases of the programme (2001-2008) provided support in three key areas: women's entrepreneurship; employment and entrepreneur opportunities for persons with disabilities and action against forced labour. Support for the elimination of child labour has been added as a new element in the third phase of the programme (2008-2011). Developing countries supported under the Programme include Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR.
Irish Aid also has had ongoing contacts with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) in relation to the Partnership Programme. Further funding of €750,000 in 2009 and €1.6 million in 2010 was provided to the ILO by Irish Aid for labour market and business opportunity development programmes in Timor-Leste.
