Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
661. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if funding streams exist through his Department to support locally organised diversity and equality events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13957/22]
View answerMy Department has numerous funding streams in place to support locally organised diversity and equality projects. The Department funds these events through both EU and national funding programmes.
The Department’s EU funding programmes include the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). AMIF is intended to help manage migration flows and support a common approach to migration and integration across EU countries. ESF is the EU’s fund to support social initiatives across EU states. Ireland’s ESF programme is aimed at providing supports in the areas of employment, social inclusion, education and youth employment.
My Department’s national funding programmes include the Communities Integration Fund (CIF), the National Integration Fund (NIF), the LGBTI+ Community Services Fund and the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund (DPAF).
The purpose of the CIF, which is an annual small grants funding call, is to support communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants. This fund is open to applicants operating at local level.
The purpose of the NIF, which has been run in 2017 and 2020, is to support communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants. This call is open to applicants operating at regional and national level.
The purpose of the LGBTI+ Community Services Fund, which is an annual funding call, is to assist the development of rural community infrastructure to be inclusive and welcoming of LGBTI+ persons, to address gaps in LGBTI+ services and to support existing LGBTI+ community organisations.
The purpose of the DPAF is to support Local Authorities across Ireland to improve opportunities for disabled people to partake in activities at local level, to help remove barriers to community involvement and to support the promotion and implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in communities.
Funding provided to Gender Equality and Traveller and Roma organisations is also used to support locally organised diversity and equality events.
