Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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417. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in the next six months and in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56456/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department and agencies actively engage in securing and administering EU funding to support rural and community development and the Gaeltacht. A number of EU-funded programmes will be open through the Department and its agencies over the next six to twelve months.

These include:

PEACEPLUS programme (2021 – 2027): With a total value of €1.1 billion, this programme funds projects across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. It is co-funded by the Irish Government, the European Commission, the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive and is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Funding is provided across a diverse range of investment areas, including revitalising rural areas and community development. The ‘Change Maker’ Funding element which will provide grants of between €10,000 and €100,000 to cross-border or cross-community projects, is currently open. Details are available at seupb.ie

Achieve Together Social Innovation Coaching and Mentoring Programme: Co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union under the Employment, Inclusion, Skills, and Training Programme (EIST) - Ireland’s ESF+ programme for 2021-2027. The programme provides bespoke training to existing Community Services Programme (CSP) supported organisations for a 12-month period. The programme will support 225 organisations over five years with a budget of €4.67 million. Application for the 2025 cohort is currently open.

New Solutions Social Innovation Fund: Also, co-funded under the ESF+ 2021-2027, the Fund supports initiatives aimed at reducing the risk of poverty and social exclusion, with an emphasis on disadvantaged groups. A call for pilot projects under the New Solutions Fund will be launched in Q2 2026, with €4million allocated to support innovative social initiatives at the pilot stage.

LEADER Programme (2023-2027): The multiannual funding programme that is co-financed by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy. The current LEADER Programme is operational across the country, with total funding of €180 million allocated across Local Action Groups (LAGs) for the period from 2023 to 2027. Prospective applicants should, in the first instance, contact their relevant LAG, through its Implementing Partner to discuss the eligibility of the project and the funding that may be available.

'Data2Sustain’: one of the co-funded EU projects in which Údarás na Gaeltachta is a partner, is a European Digital Innovation Hub that specialises in advancing digitalisation and data innovation. Data2Sustain is open to applications from businesses and public bodies to explore, test, and adopt digital technologies in Ireland’s North and West which include the Gaeltacht districts of that region -see

Western Development Commission (WDC): While the WDC does not offer EU funding schemes, it participates in EU-funded projects that support its strategic objectives. Currently the WDC enable 17 regional partners to access €9.7 million in EU support to develop opportunities in areas such as the circular and creative economies, social enterprise and digital transformation. The demand for this service continues to grow and as such the WDC seek to address this regional requirement.