Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

47. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding streams available under his Department to assist with migrant integration; the amount allocated under these funding streams for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38558/24]

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

My Department administers a number of funding streams addressing integration by way of annual and multi-annual grants. I have been working to maximise these funds to support excellent work in communities across Ireland, to help migrants to integrate more fully.

The National Integration Fund has the goal of supporting communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants. In 2024, a total of €2.9m has been awarded to 18 projects over a three-year period.

The Communities Integration Fund has been in place since 2017. Annually, grant awards of €1,000 to €5,000 are made available for local integration initiatives. This year, over €500,000 has been awarded to 113 projects across the country.

The Ireland Against Racism Fund (IARF) was launched in May 2023. In its first year, the fund made €1.3 million available to applicant groups operating at national, regional and local level. IARF has the overall objective of providing funding for national and regional projects, as well as local initiatives, that aim to combat racism and foster racial equality and community cohesion. This year, €1 million has been made available under the fund, and results will be announced in October.

My department also operates a fund specifically to support the integration of International Protection applicants. In 2024, the International Protection Integration Fund has allocated a total of €2.5m to 56 projects.

Europe is also supporting us in our efforts to facilitate migrant integration. The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) is a multi-annual EU co-funded programme; in April 2024, we announced 17 projects that have been approved total funding of €10m for a four-year period.

Finally, the Integration and Employment of Migrants funding stream is part of a multi-annual EU fund under the European Social Fund Plus. In Ireland, seven projects have been approved total funding of €2.7m for a three-year period to support legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion.