Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 March 2012
41 Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has reviewed recent actions in the context of sustaining confidence building initiatives which have formed part of the peace process and have been coordinated by his Department. [16227/12]
View answerConfidence building initiatives continue to be an important aspect of implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and related Agreements. Contacts at political and official level with both communities in Northern Ireland are important in this regard and the Oireachtas itself plays a vital role, through the work of the Joint Committee on the Good Friday Agreement and through interactions between other Oireachtas Joint Committees and their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The Reconciliation Fund established by the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1982 assists individuals and organisations involved in reconciliation work and encourages and facilitates better relations within and between the nationalist/republican and unionist/loyalist traditions on the island of Ireland and also relations between Ireland and Britain.
The Anti-Sectarianism Fund established in 2008 provides financial assistance to projects in communities seeking new and more effective ways of addressing sectarianism and division in society. Since 1982, the two Funds have disbursed some €37 million to over 800 projects. Despite the difficult economic circumstances we face, I am happy to confirm that I will have up to €2.7m in funding available to the Reconciliation and Anti-Sectarianism funds this year. Applications are currently being accepted for funding and officials from my Department have this week conducted briefings for community and voluntary organisations in Derry and Belfast in order to brief potential applicants on how to apply for support from the Funds.
Since 2006, the Department of Foreign Affairs has hosted an annual "Reconciliation Networking Forum", bringing together up to 100 community groups and organisations engaged in reconciliation activities on both sides of the border, many of which do not ordinarily have the opportunity to meet with other groups and organisations active in the reconciliation sector. The annual Networking Forum is an important and valuable opportunity for a diverse range of groups from different places, engaged in similar work, to network, share learning and initiate collaboration in a supportive and friendly atmosphere.
This evening in Iveagh House, at my invitation, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson MLA, will give a lecture entitled "The Edward Carson lecture: Reflections on Irish Unionism". The invited audience will represent a range of political views and key individuals involved in commemorative activity. The content of this, and future lectures, will be made widely available. This lecture represents a key component in the Government's programme of commemorative activity over the coming years. The Government has decided that all initiatives under this programme, including this lecture, will be underpinned by the following principles: respect for historical accuracy, promotion of tolerance, respect and inclusiveness, and recognition of the All-Island and East-West dimension of our shared history.
