Written answers

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Department of Justice and Equality

Departmental Budgets

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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662. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide a detailed breakdown of the revised budgetary allocations now falling under the remit of his Department following the recent transfer of functions relating to immigration and integration from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37739/25]

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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663. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether any portion of the €2 billion Contingency Reserve Fund—of which 48% was previously allocated to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality—has now been reallocated to his Department following the recent functional transfer; if so, to outline the purposes for which those funds are intended to be used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37741/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 662 and 663 together.

A detailed breakdown of the budgetary allocations in my Department following the recent transfer of functions from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE), can be found in the Revised and Further Revised Estimates Volumes for the Public Service.

These documents are published by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/collections/the-revised-estimates-volumes-for-the-public-service/

Funding previously provided to DCDE from the Contingency Reserve Fund which related to International Protection Accommodation Services and Ukraine, transferred to my Department as part of the transfer of functions. The total transfer pertaining to contingency funding in 2025 was €1,760m, which continues to be used to meet costs associated with providing emergency accommodation supports for beneficiaries of temporary protection who have fled the war in Ukraine and applicants for International Protection in Ireland.

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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664. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether he intends to ring-fence any specific funding for integration support measures within the justice sector or its affiliated agencies following the assumption of responsibility for immigration and integration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37742/25]

Photo of Colm BrophyColm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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My Department runs a number of funding schemes under which the budgets are ringfenced for migrant integration in Ireland.

This year, €3.5 million has been ringfenced for the 2025 Integration Fund, which was launched on 3 July, and remains open for applications until 31 July. The Integration Fund combines the two funds previously known as the International Protection Integration Fund and the Communities Integration Fund. More information on this fund and how to apply is available at: www.gov.ie/integrationfund

Separately, the National Integration Fund (NIF) is a multi-annual funding call which supports communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants and is open to organisations operating at regional and national level.

NIF 2023 results were announced in April 2024, with 18 projects being awarded grants with a combined total of over €2.8 million over a three-year period. The next iteration of NIF is intended to be announced in 2026.

The Department also manages two EU funding schemes aimed at migrant integration. Firstly, the Department is the managing authority for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).

AMIF provides a range of supports for international protection applicants, programme refugees, Beneficiaries Of Temporary Protection and other third country nationals arriving in Ireland.

Last year, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which at the time was managing authority for AMIF in Ireland, awarded €10 million to 17 successful projects arising from an Open Call for Proposals to fund projects providing reception and integration supports to third country nationals for a four-year period.

The second EU funding scheme to assist migrants is the Integration and Employment of Migrants stream of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027 programme. This activity is aimed at legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion.

In 2022, seven projects were approved total funding of €2.7m for a three-year period under this programme. These projects are scheduled to conclude later in 2025, when a new round of funding will be announced.

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