Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 July 2026
45. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on the Shared Island Civic Society Fund; the way in which the fund it is supporting new cross-Border links; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50210/26]
View answerSince its launch in 2023, the Shared Island Civic Society Fund (SICSF) has provided some €5 million supporting 171 projects across the island of Ireland to encourage practical North-South cooperation and engagement. There has been strong interest in the SICSF to date with each round being oversubscribed. The maximum grant awarded to any project is €50,000 and the average grant awarded in previous rounds was under €30,000.
The table below provides details of the growth of the fund since it was launched in 2023:
|
Round |
No of Projects |
Total Spend |
Average Grant |
|
1 |
20 |
€499,946 |
€24,997 |
|
2 |
35 |
€981,889 |
€28,054 |
|
3 |
52 |
€1,517,027 |
€29,174 |
|
4 |
64 |
€1,910,702 |
€29,855 |
|
|
171 |
€4,909,564 |
€28,711
|
The Fund is a key component of the Shared Island initiative and is supporting collaboration on joint projects between grassroots community organisations and their cross-border counterparts with the overall objective of strengthening North-South civic, economic and political links. Some of the sectors supported by the SICSF to date include – Business and Social Enterprise, Community and Voluntary Sector, Environmental Awareness, Migrant Communities, Sport, Trade Unions, Women’s Groups and Youth Engagement.
The SICSF is now in its second, three-year cycle, which will run until 2027, with an annual budget of €2 million. The application window for the fifth round of funding closed on 2 June 2026 and the next funding announcement is anticipated in the autumn.
Last December, I announced the successful applicants for the fourth round, and funding of just under €2 million has now been disbursed amongst sixty-four community-based cross-border projects across the island of Ireland. Full details of this and previous rounds can be found on the www.gov.ie/en/department-of-foreign-affairs/services/shared-island-civic-society-fund/
