Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I am pleased to say that a new local integration model has been developed in collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), the City and County Management Authority (CCMA) and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA). The model centres on a new national network of four-person Local Authority Integration Teams (LAITs), funded by DCEDIY, to be located in each local authority, to better help IP applicants engage with existing local services.

The teams will provide supports to IP Applicants, Programme Refugees and Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs). The cost per Local Authority for the LAITS is €330,000. This includes funding for one Integration Support Coordinator, two Integration Support Workers and one Administrative support. Recruitment for the LAITs is underway by individual Local Authorities.

Under the European Social Fund 2021-2027 funding has been allocated my department to recruit dedicated practitioners to support families living in IPAS accommodation. Adopting a multiagency, multidisciplinary approach, these practitioners will provide a standardised pathway for family support within each of the 17 Tusla areas. Supports will vary depending on the needs of each individual family but may consist of delivering individualised parenting programmes and family support clinics or facilitating the integration of families by building connections with Family Resource Centres in the locality.

My Department administers a number of funding streams addressing integration.

In the last two years €2.8m has been made available through the International Protection Integration Fund to community-based organisations to carry out integration projects at a national, provincial or local level. A further €1.5m will be provided in 2024.

€1.3m in funding was provided in 2023 to the Children and Young People Services Committee (CYPSC) to further develop, enhance and expand the provision of their support services to families in the International Protection system. A further funding scheme has been launched in recent weeks and a further €1.5m in funding is being made available in 2024.

The purpose of the National Integration Fund (NIF) is to support communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants at a national or regional level. Approximately €750,000 is committed per year, subject to the availability of funds. This funding can be used for both once-off initiatives and projects rolled out over a maximum of three years. Projects must take an inclusive approach, aiming to bring migrants and host communities together.

Under Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) 2021-2027, Ireland will build on the work done of the previous AMIF 2014-2020, and improve its effectiveness where possible. The programme will also support elements of State-run programmes, both at national and local level, which provide integration measures tailored to the needs of third-country nationals. A Call for Proposals from organisations planning projects to support the reception and integration of Third Country Nationals in Ireland was launched in October 2023.

The Integration and Employment of Migrants (IEM) stream under the European Social Fund Plus is aimed at legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training, or social exclusion.