Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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453. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the funding that is available to transition year groups with regard to projects that focus on sustainability and climate action particularly funding sources which are immediately available or currently open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53131/21]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Global Citizenship Education budget is managed by the GCE Unit in my Department. Global Citizenship Education covers a range of global issues including sustainability and climate action as well as topics such as global poverty and hunger, gender equality and migration.

We work closely with the Department of Education in support of the roll out of the National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development, which is closely linked to Global Citizenship Education.

Funding to post primary schools for Global Citizen Education is channelled through our WorldWise Global Schools programme which currently reaches over 70% of post-primary schools across the country. As part of that programme, grants are available to post-primary schools ranging from €600 to €1,000. The 2022 funding round will be open from 7 April to 13 May 2022. Details are available now on the www.worldwiseschools.ie where schools can register their interest in applying for a grant.

During the last academic year, we disbursed over €530,000 in grant funding through WorldWise Global Schools. 30% of this went directly to schools and the rest to Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who work in post-primary schools. This included the Schools' Climate Action Network (SCAN) (€6,000) ECO-UNESCO (€26,240) Sonairte Visitor Eco Centre and Gardens (€23,638) and other NGOs who work on sustainability. This academic year, through WorldWise Global Schools, my Department is also funding the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (€15,000) to develop a bank of resources on climate action and sustainability.

While the programmes I have mentioned are not exclusive to transition year, many of the projects undertaken are by transition year students.