Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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410. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will restore the budget for a group (details supplied). [55704/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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As the Deputy will be aware, while I have oversight of the implementation of the actions under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS), funding is provided across a range of Government Departments to support and address the specific needs of the Traveller and Roma Communities and all of the relevant Departments have their own specific budgets.

In 2021, my own Department has provided just over €4.9m to provide core funding to a number of NGOs and to progress actions under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. A further €700,000 was secured from Dormant Account Funds to support Traveller and Roma initiatives. Overall, in 2021 my Department has provided funding to 48 Traveller and Roma projects.

My Department has provided over €1.6m to the group mentioned by the Deputy in 2021. Any increase in funding to this group in 2022 will be in line with my overall budget and the competing demands of the other projects that I am committed to funding in 2022.