Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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827. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount that his Department has given to organisations (details supplied) in each of the past five years; if his Department has given money to organisations that have board members, directors, staff and employees that were members of former or existing paramilitary organisations; if so, the name of these organisations; the level of funding that has been given to each in each of the past five years; the steps that are taken to ensure that any organisation in receipt of funding from his Department has no toleration of sectarianism or community control; if all funds allocated by his Department are fully and openly competed for by way of a tender process or other transparent and fair competition; and if not, the recipients of funds that were not allocated by a tender process or open and transparent competition. [30515/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs' Reconciliation Fund was established in 1982 to support civil society organisations in creating a better understanding between people and traditions on the island of Ireland, as well as between Ireland and Britain. The Fund has supported over 3,000 projects with more than €60 million in grant funding since its establishment.

In spring 2021, Minister Coveney approved a new strategy for the Reconciliation Fund for the period 2021-2024, to ensure that the Fund remains relevant, effective, and efficient over the coming years, particularly given the difficult contexts of Brexit and COVID-19.

The Reconciliation Fund strategy emphasises the aim of the Fund to work with all sections of society towards a shared vision of a cohesive, inclusive and reconciled Northern Ireland. To achieve this goal, the Fund supports a wide range of organisations and activities that promote reconciliation, with grants varying in size from just hundreds of euros to small groups, up to amounts in the hundreds of thousands for a small number of larger partners.

There are 2 open calls for applications to the Fund annually, usually in the spring and autumn. These open calls are advertised on the Department of Foreign Affairs website, specifically on the Reconciliation Fund homepage (), as well as on social media, with detailed information provided on how prospective applicants may apply.

In order to ensure that maximum benefit is achieved with available financial resources, applications undergo rigorous assessment and appraisal, including consideration by an Interdepartmental Consultative Committee. This Committee is comprised of representatives from the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Justice, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Department of Education and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The assessment and appraisal process is designed to ensure that those projects with greatest potential impact and strongest alignment to the criteria and priorities of the Fund, as laid out in the strategy, are supported.

Applications are also evaluated on additional factors including:

- Geographical location

- Value for money

- Applicants' organisational governance arrangements, sustainability and financial management capacity

- Funding environment for a particular sector

Furthermore, a Tax Clearance Certificate is required for grants in excess of €10,000 and recipients of grant aid in excess of €12,500 are required to provide audited accounts on completion of the project, as well as submitting a financial and narrative report. The impact of projects is also assessed through engagement with funded organisations and on-site monitoring visits.

Information on all awards since 2012 is available under the ‘Previous Grants’ section of the Reconciliation Fund homepage ().

Since 2017, the Reconciliation Fund has awarded grant funding to organisations associated with the Orange Order following the processes and procedures as described above. A breakdown of these grants is provided in tabular form below.

The Reconciliation Fund has not awarded funding to loyalist flute bands.