Minister Flanagan announces €1.2 million in N.I. peace and reconciliation funding

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan T.D., has today (Friday, August 5 2016) 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, 5 August 2016

• 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