Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan T.D., has today (Friday, August 5th) announced over €1.2 million in grants, to 57 organisations working in support of further peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border region.
Speaking about the funding, Minister Flanagan said:
“This funding reflects the enduring commitment of the Irish Government to supporting peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland.
My Department’s Reconciliation Fund has been in existence since 1982 and since that time over €46 million has been granted to over 1,900 projects, supporting organisations across the community and voluntary sector. These groups are working to build meaningful links between all communities and traditions on the island and address the issues, including sectarianism, which still impact on the lives of so many people.”
The Minister added “Civil society organisations continue to play a vital role in sustaining and deepening the very real progress that has been made on this island since the Good Friday Agreement. We cannot and do not take this progress for granted. In recognition of this, the Government included a commitment in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement to guarantee an annual budget of €2.7 million for the Reconciliation Fund.”
Amongst the organisations that will receive funding in the current round are Co-Operation Ireland; the Pat Finucane Centre; the 174 Trust and the Department’s four Strategic Partners, Healing Through Remembering; Corrymeela; Community Relations in Schools and Youth Action.
ENDS
Press Office
05 August 2016
Notes for Editors:
A list of projects to be funded in the current round is included in the Annex below.
The Reconciliation Fund has been in existence since 1982 and was increased significantly following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. All parties to that Agreement undertook to “positively examine the case for enhanced financial assistance for the work of reconciliation.”
As a result the Irish Government has provided increased support through the Reconciliation Fund since 1998. In the 2014 Stormont House Agreement, the Government committed to “support measures to promote reconciliation, including through continued annual provision of €2.7m in the Reconciliation Fund”.
Applications for the next round of funding must be received by Friday 16th September 2016; information and application forms can be found at www.dfa.ie/reconciliation
ANNEX
Projects approved for funding under the current round of grants are set out below:
RECONCILIATION FUND AWARDS
Tranche 1 2016 Amount
1. 174 Trust €25,000
2. Altnaveigh House €7,000
3. APAC Ireland €6,300
4. ARC Healthy Living Centre Ltd €10,000
5. Armagh Pipers Club €6,000
6. Ashton Centre (Fab Foundation Ireland) €12,000
7. Belfast Tattoo (The) €15,000
8. Cahoots NI €8,000
9. City Centre Initiative €7,000
10. Clogher 2018 Historical Commemoration Committee €5,000
11. Clooney Estate Residents Association €7,600
12. Community Dialogue €20,000
13. Contemporary Christianity €9,000
14. Co-Operation Ireland €340,000
15. Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (The Irish Guild of the Church) €4,000
16. Denmark St Community Association €2,500
17 Diversity Challenges €11,580
18. Dojo Community Martial Arts Centre €3,000
19. Edward M Kennedy Institute for Conflict Intervention (NUIM) €55,000
20. Epworth Methodist Church €4,000
21. Families Moving On €10,000
22. Fellowship of Messines Association €8,195
23. Forge Family Resource Centre €10,000
24. Holy Cross Retreat, Ardoyne €60,000
25. Friends of Derry Walls €15,000
26. Hillcrest Trust €4,000
27. Integrated Education Fund €10,000
28. John Hewitt Society €5,830
29. Kids' Own Publishing €10,000
30. Kilcooley Women's Centre €15,000
31. Knockconan Aughnacloy Summer Camp €3,000
32. Lisbellaw Parish Church €3,500
33. Louth County Council €18,000
34. Maiden City Festival €30,000
35. Mid Ulster Victims Empowerment (MUVE) €6,000
36. Mornington Community Project €6,000
37. NI Children’s Enterprice NICE €13,000
38. North Belfast Partnership €6,000
39. Pat Finucane Centre (Justice for the Forgotten) €49,580
40. Patrician Youth Centre €5,000
41. Powerstone Entertainment €6,000
42. Rasharkin Residents Association €5,897
43 Richmount Rural Community Association €9,000
44. Rossinver Community Development Co €2,555
45. Shankill Women's Centre €10,500
46. St Monica's Boxing Club Newry €5,620
47. St Peter's Youth Centre €9,000
48. Suffolk Lenadoon Interface Group €7,750
49. TADA Rural Support Network €3,000
50. TIDES Training €13,321
51 Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership €12,000
52. Woodvale Community Centre €2,500
53 Youth Link NI €40,000
Strategic Partners 2016 (Year 2)
Community Relations in Schools (CRIS) €50,000
Corrymeela €70,000
Healing Through Remembering €55,000
Youth Action Northern Ireland €80,000