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Cross-Border Co-operation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 June 2024

Thursday, 27 June 2024

Questions (41, 62)

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

41. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs 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]

View answer

Brendan Smith

Question:

62. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs 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]

View answer

Written answers

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 gov - Shared Island Civic Society Fund (www.gov.ie) .

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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