Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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126. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the funding provided by his Department to each member of a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51438/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Department is responsible for two votes - Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation). The Department administers a number of funding schemes including under Ireland's official overseas development programme, Irish Aid. Between 2016 and 2017, Irish Aid provided €240,000 from its Civil Society Fund to the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) for a project to provide sexual reproductive health services (i.e. contraception, HIV and STI tests and counselling) and training in Bolivia through IFPA’s local partner. The focus of the project is on migrant youth in the cities of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz who are at risk of falling into a cycle of urban destitution in slum areas. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is also due to receive a grant of €10,000 from the Civil Society Fund in 2017 to improve the labour protection legal environment and ensure that the market based economic reforms of the government of Myanmar are inclusive and benefit workers by creating decent jobs.

Amnesty Ireland received an Irish Aid Development Education grant of €40,000 in 2016 for a project to build the capacity of primary school teachers to identify human rights and global justice issues (such as migration, homelessness, hunger and poverty) through the new primary school literacy programme.

Department’s Emigrant Support Programme supports Irish communities overseas by funding non-profit organisations and projects. From time to time funding is granted to an organisation based in Ireland for projects overseas to foster more strategic links with the global Irish and to support frontline welfare services. Since 2015, my Department has contributed to the printing and distribution of the J1 Visa Guide by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). The guide was written in conjunction with the Consular Division of my Department, and includes information on the Department’s TravelWise App. It covers a range of topics including carrying ID and passport safety, anti-social behaviour and mental health. The Guide aims to support and empower Irish third-level students with relevant information while overseas.

The Reconciliation Fund administered by my Department awards funding to organisations and projects aimed at advancing peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, on a cross-border basis and between Ireland and Britain. In 2016 the Fund made a grant of €30,000 to the Northern Ireland branch of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU). The grant supports ICTU’s work with community groups and organisations to promote reconciliation and combat sectarianism in Northern Ireland.

The following table lists funding provided, or to be provided, in 2016 and 2017.