Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
607. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the total level of Exchequer funding spent by her Department on funding NGOs, by organisation, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11795/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra608. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the total level of Exchequer funding spent on funding NGOs by her Department, in each of the years since 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11813/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra609. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the assessments that are carried out to determine the level of Exchequer funding that any NGO receives from her Department on an annual basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11831/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra610. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding any direct lobbying she has received from any NGO in relation to her annual funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11853/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 607, 608, 609 and 610 together.
My aim is to continue delivering on the commitments set out in the Programme for Government and to support students, staff, and families across the education sector. My Department receives several submissions from a range of different stakeholders in the education sector and from organisations involved in other areas of public policy throughout the year and especially in the lead up the annual Budgetary process. These submissions are reviewed and these inform areas for consideration that are negotiated as part of the annual budgetary process and within set fiscal parameters. Following the publishing of the Revised Estimate Volumes on the gov.ie website and subsequent approval by Dáil Éireann, funding is allocated to the relevant external parties that support the Department in fulfilling its objectives.
My Department, and the bodies under its aegis, fund a wide range of non-profit organisations in the education area. In the absence of an agreed definition of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) it is not possible to say if any of these non-profit groups consider themselves to be NGOs. It is not a category of funding recipient that is distinguished within the programmes which my Department operates
I have, however, enclosed a breakdown of funding to non-profit organisations as per our Financial Management System for the years 2022-2024. Please note 2025 figures are provided separately and are provisional figures that will not be finalised until completion of the 2025 appropriation accounts.
