Written answers
Thursday, 27 June 2024
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Cross-Border Co-operation
Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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41. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for a report on the €1.5 million in funding for civic society organisations which he recently announced under the Government’s shared island civic society fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27585/24]
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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62. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the funding that will be made available by his Department under the shared island initiative for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27595/24]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 62 together.
On 20 June, I launched the call for applications to the third round of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund, which will make €1.5 million available to civic society and community organisations for projects enabling practical North South cooperation and engagement, thereby fostering new cross-border links and deepening existing ones. Demand for this Fund was identified through the Shared Island dialogue series.
First round grants through the Shared Island Civic Society Fund were awarded in September last year, providing €500,000 to twenty cross-border projects. That first round revealed strong demand, and funding for the second round was doubled to €1 million. 35 projects were awarded second round grants in May. Among those successful are organisations in community development, disability services, the arts and sport, bridging potential gaps in cross-border partnerships. Details of the successful projects are set out in tabular form below, and are also published on my Department's website.
Building on experience to date and what we have heard from partners, the funding available for the third round was further increased, to €1.5 million. The closing date for this round is 2 August, and full details are available at .
As a whole-of-government initiative, each Department is expected to respond to the ambitions of the Shared Island Initiative. The Shared Island Civic Society Fund is one part of the Department of Foreign Affairs response to the Shared Island Initiative, and I look forward to further developing the Department’s work in enhancing North South cooperation on this island in the period ahead.
Shared Island Civic Society Fund Round 1 Organisations
| Applicant | Partner | Project title | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Disability Ireland | Disability Sport NI | Shared Island collaborations to supporting active and healthy lifestyles for people with disabilities | €24,000 |
| Angel Eyes NI | FEACH | Education Access in Ireland | €9,988 |
| Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AVEA) | N/A | Creating an All-Island Forum to Develop Expertise amongst the Visitor Experience and Attractions Sector, North and South | €4,500 |
| AwakenHub | N/A | The Awakening – AwakenHub’s inaugural in person all island of Ireland Summit & Launch of 'AwakenTribe' Community Platform | €35,500 |
| Axis Ballymun | East Belfast Mission | Rising Tide: Ballymun & East Belfast | €25,000 |
| Burrenbeo Trust | Nature Friendly Farming Network | Farming for Nature Ambassadors Northern Ireland | €25,100 |
| County Down Rural Community Network | Irish Men’s Shed Association | Shared Learning – Men’s Shed project | €25,000 |
| Fórsa | Unison NI | North-South Health and Social Care Professionals Conference | €25,000 |
| Irish Environmental Network | Northern Ireland Environment Link | Linking the Environment North and South (LENS): All-island Civil Society Forum on the Environment | €34,950 |
| Irish Heritage Trust | Newpoint Players | Shared Island Heritage Forum: North and South | €19,520 |
| Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark Project (Comharchumann Dhúiche Sheoigheach Teo) | Newry Mourne and Down District Council (Mourne Gullion Strangford) | Growing Our Shared Island Geoparks | €17,320 |
| LGBT Support and Advocacy Network Ireland | Rainbow Health | All Ireland LGBTQIA+ Forum | €25,000 |
| Linking Generations NI | Fingal County Council | Removing Barriers of Geography and Age | €9,920 |
| Midlands Science | Goliath Trust | Sharing Accessible Science Outreach | €25,000 |
| National Women’s Council of Ireland | Women’s Aid Federation NI | Practical North South Cooperation to tackle Violence Against Women from a Civic Society Perspective | €37,790 |
| Newry Credit Union | Crossmaglen, Dundalk, and Lurgan Credit Unions | MY-CU Financial Education Program | €24,000 |
| Rural Action | Irish Rural Link | Synergy Rural Collaboration Project | €37,385 |
| Spraoi agus Spórt Family Centre | Sólás | Families Reaching Out Group | €20,251 |
| The Wheel | NICVA | iCommunity: Continuing the Conversation | €49,872 |
| Volunteer Ireland | Volunteer Now | Building Better Systems: Leadership Innovation Lab | €24,850 |
Shared Island Civic Society Fund Round 2 Organisations
| Applicant | Partner(s) | Project title | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accidental Theatre | Smock Alley Theatre & An Grianán Theatre | Shared Cultures Across Borders | €50,000.00 |
| All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care | Foyle Hospice & Irish Hospice Foundation | Compassionate Communities in Palliative and End of Life Care – inaugural in person island of Ireland community-centred conference | €26,698.00 |
| Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) | Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) | Importance of Leadership at Local Level and Civility In Public Life | €15,000.00 |
| Centre for Democracy and Peace Building | IMMA | Arts and Culture Collaboration Lab | €15,250.00 |
| Common Purpose Ireland | Common Purpose Charitable Trust | All-island Legacy | €49,994.00 |
| Compass Advocacy Network Ltd (CAN) | Ability West | Best Buddies Beyond Borders | €9,000.00 |
| Cooley Connect Well | Yellow Road Wellbeing Centre and Social Farm & New Town Together Mens Shed | Growing Social Garden for Nature / Gardening South Gardening North: | €14,500.00 |
| Co-operation Ireland | N/A | Connecting for Change: Promoting Sustainable Community Engagement on an All-Island Basis | €21,485.00 |
| County Donegal Railway Restoration CLG | North West Learning Disability Centre | Railway Connections | €8,100.00 |
| Create | ArtsEkta | Intercultural Dialogues | €25,000.00 |
| Development Trusts NI | Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups | Community: Enterprise, Ownership, Wealth Building & Well-Being in Ireland (North & South) | €50,000.00 |
| Falls Community Council | Youth Work Ireland | Civic Visions: Inspiring North-South Cooperation | €28,508.00 |
| Falls Women's Centre | Ronanstown Women’s Community | Constitutional Challenges: A Voice for Grassroots Women (pilot project) | €9,663.00 |
| Feasta | North West Play Resource Centre T/A The Playhouse | Cultural Creatives - Transformation Catalysts for a Well-being Economy | €25,000.00 |
| Football Association of Ireland | NI Football League | 2024 All-Island Cup | €50,000.00 |
| Girl's Allowed | Belturbet Hens' Shed | Women on the Border | €10,000.00 |
| Humanist Association of Ireland | Northern Ireland Humanists | Shared Island Humanist Conference | €9,000.00 |
| Inishowen Development Partnership | The Rural Area Partnership in Derry | Networking Community Collaboration for Environmental Stewardship | €24,000.00 |
| Irish Association for Cultural, Economic and Social Relations | N/A | A Vision for the Future of North South Cooperation? | €30,000.00 |
| Irish Youth Opera (t/a Opera Collective Ireland) | Newry Chamber Music | The Walk from the Garden by Jonathan Dove- A Church Opera in One Act | €42,800.00 |
| Lifestyle Development Group CLG | Rural Health Partnership | SHARED ROOTS and ROUTES | €31,075.00 |
| Meitheal an Iarthair | Dún Uladh | Ceol na nÓg Folk Orchestra | €9,990.00 |
| Mother Tongues | ArtsEkta | Exchanging intercultural practices: a journey for change | €25,000.00 |
| National Forum of Family Resource Centres | Healthy Living Centre Alliance | Suicide Prevention and Chronic Pain Knowledge, Skills and Leadership Exchange | €31,050.00 |
| Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment | Kare | Mind the Gap - Employment Gap of Disabled People on the Island of Ireland | €48,550.00 |
| Portlaoise Family Resource Centre | Colin Neighbourhood Partnership | Stepping Stones to Resillience | €44,900.00 |
| Redemptorist Community | Scala | Justice and Peace Animators | €15,250.00 |
| Royal British Legion ROI District | Royal British Legion NI District | The RBL 'Battle of Somme' Ceremony is a highlight of the Irish commemorative year. A shared-island event. | €6,000.00 |
| Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI) | Social Enterprise NI | Capacity Building for Income Generation (C-BIG) | €25,000.00 |
| St. Patrick’s Festival | Belfast Summer School of traditional music t/a Belfast TradFest | Belfast – Dublin St. Patrick’s Festival Partnership | €50,000.00 |
| The John Hewitt Society | Irish PEN | Freedom to write | €33,240.00 |
| The Nerve Centre | Spraoi Agus Sport | Film Skills NW | €47,950.00 |
| The Wheel | NICVA | iCommunity Amplifying Youth Voices and New Partnerships for a Shared Future | €49,886.00 |
| Trinity College Dublin | Queens University | Shared Island Innovation Challenge | €25,000.00 |
| University College Dublin | Queens University | A Shared Island Forum for Nurturing Secure Climate Futures through Cybersecurity and Environmental Resilience Education | €25,000.00 |
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