Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

316. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of the cross-Border Project Ireland 2040 infrastructure projects and the funding allocated for 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [53839/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy might note that my Department have no cross-Border Project Ireland 2040 infrastructure projects at this time.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

317. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of his Department’s current cross-Border initiatives, goods and or services committed to and the funding allocated to each for 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [53857/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Details of the current cross-Border initiatives, goods and or services committed to by my Department and the funding allocated to each for 2021, 2022 and 2023, are set out below in tabular form.

PEACE IV - Programme for Peace and Reconciliation

DCEDIY is an accountable Department in relation to the Children and Young People Objective of the Peace IV Programme, which in Ireland comes under the remit of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. PEACE IV is a cross-border initiative, financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). PEACE IV supports peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland. In 2021, DCEDIY contributed €1.624m in match-funding to the SEUPB to support the delivery of the ‘PEACE4Youth’ Programme, which is targeted at those young people aged between 14-24 years in Northern Ireland and the six border counties who are most disadvantaged, excluded or marginalised.

PEACE PLUSProgramme

Development of the PEACE PLUS programme is being led by the Special EU Programmes Body in close cooperation with DPER and the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland and with input from accountable departments North and South. My Department would not be in a position to provide details on elements of the Programme’s budget ahead of the approval of the draft programme by the European Commission.

Co-Operation Ireland

Co-Operation Ireland is a peace building charity and has received a funding allocation of €31,380 in 2021 to support the delivery of a cross border Youth Leadership Programme between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The aim of the programme is to build the capacity of young people to take on an active leadership role in their communities and to engage positively with others from different backgrounds, including cross-border. Funding has been provided to date subject to an annual application and allocation process.

Youth Voice Structures Northern Ireland

The National Participation Office is currently engaging with Youth Voice Structures Northern Ireland on connecting Comhairle na nÓg with their Northern Ireland counterparts. Participation Officers from the National Participation Office and Youth Officers from the Education Authority in Northern Ireland have met to plan engagements. This work is in the early stages and there is no budget directly associated with it as of yet.

Child protection agenda of the North South Ministerial Council

The child protection agenda is attached to the Health Sectoral meetings and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth participates in these meetings with the Minister for Health and NI counterparts. A revised child protection work programme, with priorities covering a three year period to 31 December 2024, was approved by Ministers at the NSMC Health and Food Sectoral Meeting, in March 2021. The focus of the work programme is on areas of child protection that will benefit from an all island approach where mutual cooperation will add value and link with priorities in both jurisdictions.