Press release
Minister Hildegarde Naughton announces 2023 allocation of €2.3 million funding under the Healthy Ireland Fund Round 4
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton, has today welcomed the allocation of funding of €75,000 to each of the 31 Local Authorities for 2023 under the Healthy Ireland Fund (HIF) Round 4.
The HIF funds a full-time Healthy Ireland Coordinator in each Local Authority. These coordinators, working with their colleagues, submitted proposals for projects under HIF Round 4. These were assessed by Pobal and given final approval by the Healthy Ireland Team in the Department of Health.
The funds will support initiatives targeted at all age groups, particularly children, adolescents and young people, older people, those living in disadvantaged communities and people with disabilities.
Examples of approved proposals include:
Minister Naughton said:
"Healthy Ireland has a long-standing partnership with our Local Authority partners, where we work collaboratively to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in Ireland. I am delighted to announce the allocation of over €2.3 million in 2023 under the HIF Round 4 for projects that will have a real impact on the health and wellbeing of the communities across the 31 Local Authority areas. Each project is linked to an outcome in the Healthy Ireland Framework and it is particularly heartening to see such a variety of projects, illustrating that the design has been tailored locally to meet the needs of the local areas."
On behalf of the local government sector, Chair of the CCMA Rural Development, Community, Culture and Heritage (RCCH) Committee and Chief Executive, Laois County Council, John Mulholland said:
"Locally-led initiatives are key to enhancing wellbeing among the population. This funding continues a long-standing partnership with Healthy Ireland and builds on the work Local Authorities are doing to support the physical, mental and social wellbeing of everyone in their communities."
The Healthy Ireland Fund was set up in 2017. Rounds 1-3 of the programme funded a number of coordinator positions in the Local Authorities and provided funding for projects that were broadly based on activity-led programmes.
The fund is managed by Pobal on behalf of Healthy Ireland.
Round 4 has moved to an outcome-based approach with multi-annual grant agreements. Outcomes are taken directly from the Healthy Ireland Outcomes Framework. This is the national framework for action to improve the health and wellbeing of the people in Ireland. Healthy Ireland was developed in response to a number of significant public health challenges, including significant projected increases in levels of preventable chronic disease and growing heath inequalities.
The Healthy Ireland coordinators, funded from the HIF, are full-time posts based within each Local Authority.
Each Local Authority is being allocated funding of €75,000 in 2023 for the projects that have been designed at local level and evaluated by Pobal and approved by the Healthy Ireland team.