I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 to 80, inclusive, together.
The tables detail funding provided to County Meath and Meath County Council by my Department between the years 2014 and 2016.
Local Diaspora Engagement Fund - Meath
Year
|
Organisation
|
Project Name
|
Location
|
Amount of Grant
|
2015
|
Meath Community Action Plan Group in collaboration with Connect Ireland
|
Meath Community Action Plan
|
Navan & Ashbourne
Co. Meath
|
€3,000
|
2016
|
Gleeson Clan Gathering 2016 Organising Committee
|
Gleeson Clan Gathering
|
Enfield
Co. Meath
|
€4,000
|
Local Diaspora Strategy Development Fund - Meath
Year
|
Application
|
Status
|
Amount
|
2016
|
Meath County Council
|
In progress - Awaiting submission of final paperwork
|
€10,000
|
The Local Diaspora Engagement Fund (LDEF) was launched in 2015 to promote diaspora engagement at a county, local and community level, which is in line with objectives of the Global Irish: Ireland’s Diaspora Policy published by Government in March 2015. Eighty organisations around the country benefitted from total funding of €200,000 that allowed them to further develop links with the diaspora from their area through local, cultural, heritage, communications and networking projects. This fund was administered by my Department. A second round of the LDEF was launched in 2016 and the total amount of the fund was increased to €350,000. A total of 106 local and community projects around the country were approved for funding in 2016.
The Local Diaspora Strategy Development Fund launched in 2016 has made a total of €310,000 available to all Local Authorities to invest in developing strategies for diaspora engagement at local and community level. This new round of funding has made up to €10,000 available for each Local Authority around the country to invest in the development of their strategies for diaspora engagement.
No decision on the allocation of funding for Diaspora projects in 2017 has been taken yet.