Written answers

Tuesday, 23 October 2018

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Local Authority Funding

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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195. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the categories of funding available to local authorities through his Department; the amount of funding provided for each scheme in 2016 and 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43731/18]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department administers a number of funding programmes, including Ireland's official overseas development programme, Irish Aid, and the Emigrant Support Programme which supports Irish communities overseas. There is no funding designated specifically for local authorities under any of these programmes.

Other funding programmes include the Reconciliation Fund through which my Department awards funding to organisations and projects aimed at advancing peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, on a cross-border basis and between Ireland and Britain. Information on Reconciliation Fund grants awarded to 2017 is available at www.dfa.ie/reconciliation. The funding awarded to local authorities in 2016 and 2017 through the Reconciliation Fund is set out in the table below.

As part of annual Africa Day events coordinated by the Communications Unit of my Department, city and county councils can apply for funding through a small grants scheme for the organisation of regional events nationwide. €48,000 annually was made available to local authorities through this scheme in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, Cork City Council, Galway City Council, Waterford City and County Council and Limerick City and County Council availed of funding under this scheme. In 2017, Cork City Council, Galway City Council, Kildare County Council, Kilkenny County Council and Limerick City and County Council were granted funding. In 2017, an additional €500 was made available to each local authority to support the marketing and promotion of the events organised through the scheme, amounting to a total of €2500.

In addition, since 2017, my Department has also been administering funding for strategic projects that will have a long term positive impact on diaspora engagement and that support the work of the Interdepartmental Committee on the Irish Abroad and existing government strategies. No funding was awarded to a local authority under this heading in 2017.

Table of Funding to Local Authorities under the Reconciliation Fund

Local AuthorityProject and Location
Funding Approved 2016
Funding Approved 2017
Dublin City CouncilDublin City Council Libraries: Cross-Border Commemorative Visit

Cross Border
€3,500Nil
Louth County CouncilComhairle na nÓg: Youth Councils for Peace

Dundalk
€18,000€25,000

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