Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

My Department administers a number of funding streams addressing integration by way of annual and multi-annual grants. I have been working to maximise these funds to support excellent work and proposed work across communities in every corner of Ireland, to help migrants to settle in. Despite recent negative events, this remains the more dominant response of Irish communities to new arrivals.

The national integration fund has the goal of supporting communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants. I announced the results of an open call under this fund earlier this month. A total of €2.9 million was awarded to 18 projects over a three-year period. Given the overall strength of applications for this fund and the increasing importance of supporting migrant integration I am currently pursuing additional funding to support an expansion of the fund’s reach.

Also earlier this month, I opened calls for applications for the communities integration fund. Annually, small grant funding of €1,000 to €5,000 is made available for local integration initiatives. Some €0.5 million has been made available for the 2024 version of the fund, which is currently open for applications until next Wednesday, 8 May.

In February I opened calls for a fund specifically to support the integration of international protection applicants. I prioritised the opening of this scheme this year and also tripled the available funding compared to last year. The international protection integration fund has a small and large grant strand and I will be announcing the grantees under this €1.5 million fund next month.

Europe is also supporting us in efforts to facilitate migrant integration. The asylum, migration and integration fund is a multi-annual EU co-funded programme. This day last week I announced 17 projects that have been approved total funding of €10 million for a four-year period.

Finally I want to mention another EU supported fund, the integration and employment of migrants funding stream is part of a multi-annual EU fund under the European Social Fund Plus. In Ireland, seven projects have been approved total funding of €2.7 million for a three-year period to support legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion. Waterford area partnership in Deputy Ó Cathasaigh’s area is one of its beneficiaries.

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