Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
846. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the total level of Exchequer funding spent by his Department on funding NGOs, by organisation, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11805/26]
View answer847. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the total level of Exchequer funding spent on funding NGOs by his Department, in each of the years since 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11823/26]
View answer848. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the assessments that are carried out to determine the level of Exchequer funding that any NGO receives from his Department on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11841/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 846 to 848, inclusive, together.
My Department provides funding to a number of voluntary / non-governmental organisations, who provide information and wider social research on social welfare services and social policy in Ireland.
The current recipients of funding are outlined below.
Community Law and Mediation (CLM)
The CLM funding is used as core funding for staff salaries to support CLM’s provision of legal information and advice, as well as education and mediation services, in disadvantaged communities in Dublin. More information on their work can be found on their website: www.communitylawandmediation.ie/
The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU)
The INOU funding is used as core funding for staff salaries to support INOU's work with, and on behalf of, unemployed people, including development of the annual ‘Working for Work’ publication, and training and research on unemployed people’s experiences. More information on their work can be found on their website: www.inou.ie/information/
Vincentian MESL Research Centre (MESL)
My Department provides funds to the Vincentian MESL Research Centre, wholly and exclusively in support of the MESL research workplan. The MESL research plan provides for the maintenance and dissemination of ‘Minimum Essential Standard of Living’ social policy research, which is an important evidence-base which informs social policy development in Ireland. More information on their work can be found on their website: www.budgeting.ie
Citizens Information Board (CIB)
My Department also funds the Citizens Information Board, the statutory body with responsibility for the provision of independent information, advice and advocacy on a range of public services.
Whilst not an non-governmental organisation itself, CIB does in turn fund 22 independent companies to provide services on its behalf and these companies limited by guarantee (CLGs). The funding provided to these companies is outlined in CIB’s Annual Reports, available to view on its website at: www.citizensinformationboard.ie/en/about/annual_report/
The funding allocations as per the Revised Estimates since 2022 for each of these organisations are outlined in the table below:
|
- |
2022 €000 |
2023 €000 |
2024 €000 |
2025 €000 |
2026 €000 |
|
Grants to the CIB |
60,258 |
60,858 |
61,495 |
66,543 |
69,432 |
|
Total Grants - Information and Welfare Rights |
740 |
780 |
770 |
795 |
881 |
|
Made Up as Follows: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLM |
350 |
350 |
350 |
355 |
390 |
|
INOU |
260 |
260 |
260 |
260 |
313 |
|
Vincentian MESL Research Centre |
130 |
170 |
170 |
180 |
178 |
The funding allocations for each organisation are agreed between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation each year as part of the annual Budgetary process.
