Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
339. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a breakdown of what the social inclusion fund within her Department is spent on; if she plans to increase this fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17936/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra341. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth how much the social inclusion fund amounted to for the purpose of tackling educational disadvantage for the year 2020 to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17938/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 339 and 341 together.
Funding for social inclusion initiatives to tackle education disadvantage rests primarily with the Social Inclusion Unit of my department. This unit has responsibility for the DEIS Programme, the education welfare functions within Tusla, the free schoolbooks schemes, education initiatives in North East Inner-City Dublin, the Traveller and Roma education strategy, Youth Encounter Projects and other educational disadvantage initiatives.
The funding administered by the Unit, as requested by the Deputy, is contained in the table below:
|
- |
Disadvantaged Fund |
Youth Encounter Projects |
Social Inclusion Miscellaneous |
TUSLA |
|
2026 |
33,776,000 |
1,552,000 |
1,440,000 |
65,158,000 |
|
2025 |
25,464,000 |
1,493,000 |
1,460,000 |
58,332,000 |
|
2024 |
23,241,000 |
1,447,000 |
891,000 |
55,384,000 |
|
2023 |
21,241,000 |
1,329,000 |
796,000 |
49,675,000 |
|
2022 |
25,491,000 |
1,241,000 |
400,000 |
38,939,000 |
|
2021 |
16,700,000 |
1,226,000 |
400,000 |
35,006,000 |
|
2020 |
14,700,000 |
1,216,000 |
400,000 |
|
Tusla's educational welfare functions came under the remit of my department from 1 January 2021 and funding for these functions in 2020 was therefore administered by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
