Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 November 2025
272. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to list all funding schemes, grant programmes and any other financial supports that are currently administered by his Department and its agencies; the expected launch and closing dates for applications for each scheme in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66934/25]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy of a number of funding schemes and grant funding of relevance in the context of this Question.
My Department has the Member State role in respect of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), PEACEPLUS, a range of EU Interreg programmes and the Accounting Function role in relation to the ERDF. The administration of funding and grants is undertaken by the Regional Assemblies, who serve as Managing Authorities (MA) and National Contact Points (NCP), as follows:
- ERDF: (MA)
- Southern Regional Assembly
- Northern and Western Regional Assembly
- PEACEPLUS: (MA)
- Special EU Programmes Body
- Atlantic Area: (NCP)
- Northern and Western Regional Assembly
- Northern Periphery and Arctic: (NCP)
- Northern and Western Regional Assembly
- North-West Europe: (NCP)
- Southern Regional Assembly
Information on funding available can be sourced on the websites of the relevant Assembly (southernassembly.ie and nwra.ie).
More generally, the Department provides grant funding to a number of bodies as follows:
- Exchequer grant support has been provided to Transparency International Ireland (TII) since 2016 for the provision of a free Speak Up Helpline and Legal Advice Service for persons considering making a protected disclosure or who have made a protected disclosure and the grant funding will amount to €369,000 in 2026.
- The Institute of Public Administration (IPA) receives grant funding to assist them in the provision of services across the Public Service. The Institute provides specialist education, learning and development, thought leadership and advisory services for public servants and organisations across the Public Service and the grant funding will amount to €6,940,000 in 2026.
- The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) produces research that contributes to understanding economic and social change and that informs public policymaking and civil society in Ireland. Grant funding provided my Department assists the ESRI to carry out this research and will amount to €3,900,000 in 2026.
- Technological University Dublin (TUD) receives an annual grant to progress the Build Digital Project which aims to ensure that world class digital practices, which already exist in certain elements of the Irish construction sector are adopted throughout the industry and supply chain in order to achieve a more innovative sector from top to bottom. In December 2020 as part of this process, the Department launched a competitive challenge-based grant call to deliver the Build Digital Project with up to €2.5 million in public funding over the next five years. TUD was the winner of this competition and will receive the final grant amount of €500,000 in 2026.
With regard to bodies under the aegis of the Department, the Office of Public Works (OPW) offers scheme funding to local councils in the form of the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme based on applications from local authorities to the OPW minor works scheme. This scheme is ongoing and does not have an open or close date.
In addition, the OPW provides capital expenditure grants to Dublin Zoo (€2m projected in 2026), Fota Island (€1.7m projected in 2026) and Glasnevin Cemetery (€350,000 projected in 2026) and current expenditure grants to Mount Congreve (€450,000 projected in 2026). The OPW also provides grants towards Irish Architectural Archive and Irish Architectural Foundation. These grants do not have launch or closing dates in 2026 and are provided on an annual basis.
