Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 March 2022
329. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he continues to promote integration in all circumstances throughout Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15685/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, my Department has responsibility for migrant integration policy, including the outgoing Migrant Integration Strategy, that sets out the Government’s commitment to the promotion of migrant integration as a key part of Ireland’s renewal and as an underpinning principle of Irish society. The Strategy provides a framework for a range of actions to support migrants to participate fully in Irish life. While initially due to conclude in 2020, the Migrant Integration Strategy was extended to the end of 2021 in recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Strategy’s implementation.
My Department has commissioned a study to evaluate the processes for implementation of three equality strategies, which includes the Migrant Integration Strategy as well as the National Strategy for Women and Girls and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. I anticipate that a consultation process to develop a new strategic policy for migrant integration will commence during 2022, with work to build the new Strategy taking place in 2023.
As part of its actions under the Migrant Integration Strategy, my Department administers a number of funding programmes to support integration at both national and local level.
One such initiative is the National Integration Fund, a three-year funding programme to promote projects that address areas where migrants find it difficult to avail of opportunities on an equal basis with other members of Irish society. Following a competitive funding call launched in August 2020, 18 successful projects located throughout Ireland were granted funding totalling almost €2.2 million over the three year period. This funding will support national organisations and larger-scale initiatives to empower new members of Irish society to play an active part in their communities.
In addition, the Communities Integration Fund, which has been in place since 2017, provides small grants of up to €5,000 to community organisations for initiatives to promote integration at local level. Since its inception, the Communities Integration Fund has supported over 490 projects with grant funding totalling €2.76m. A further funding call was launched in early March this year and closes for applications on 6 April.
