Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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474. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide details of the allocation of the EU’s social cohesion funding in Ireland from 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11574/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Cohesion policy is the EU’s main investment policy and contributes to strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between countries and regions. It represents one third of the EU budget.

For the 2021 – 2027 programming period Ireland will receive a total of €1.4bn in Cohesion Policy Funds. Together with national funding, this will result in investment of almost €3.5bn in cohesion programmes during the period. The EU allocation is as follows:

• €396 million for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF);

• €508 million for the European Social Fund+(ESF+);

• €84.5 million under the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF); and

• €142 million for the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)

Additionally, €293 million is allocated to European cross-border co-operation programmes for joint development in the Northern Periphery and Atlantic areas and with Northwest Europe and the PEACE Plus cooperation programme across the border counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In addition, smaller amounts of funding are available for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF).

Within Ireland the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform has overall responsibility for EU Cohesion Policy and primary responsibility for the ERDF. The Minister for Further Higher Education Research, Innovation, and Science has primary responsibility for the ESF+. The Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine has responsibility for the EMFAF and the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications is responsible for the JTF. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is responsible for the AMIF and the Minister for Justice is responsible for the Internal Security Fund (ISF).

In relation to investments in social affairs, the ESF+: Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training (EIST) Programme, is about investing in people. It aims to achieve high employment levels, fair social protection and a skilled and resilient workforce for the future world of work, in line with the principles set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights. The EIST Programme focuses investment in five key areas:

Access to employment;

Skills and lifelong learning;

Tackling poverty and social exclusion;

Social innovation; and

Food and basic material support to the most deprived.

Programming across the Cohesion Funds is well underway and the Funds are currently undergoing a mid-term review as set out in the Common Provisions Regulations (CPR). The outcome of the review will inform the approach to the Funds and decisions on future programming.