COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 13, 2023

QUESTION NO. 5

QUESTION: Councillor K. Mahon

To ask the Manager what funding streams are available to assist and resource the changing situation around International Protection Applications in the County and whether additional resources have been made available to resource the increased demand for International Protection?

REPLY:

There is ongoing engagement between the local government sector and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to the supports required at local level to ensure the effective integration of new arrivals in the country.  The Council is also working locally with a range of various agencies, including under the auspices of the community response forum partners, to ensure that resources are applied to address the needs of new arrivals to the County, including international protection applicants, within the capacity of the agencies represented.

The Council also works in partnership with key agencies to deliver direct supports to those living in emergency accommodation across the county and does this by working closely with dedicated teams within the South Dublin County Partnership and South Dublin Volunteer Centre. Various recent additional funding streams, including through the Council, have been put in place to offer further augmented supports to both international protection applicants and Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection including for their social integration in the County over the coming months.  In addition, the Council has allocated funding in the 2023 Budget for integration support which will be used to facilitate integration activities through the community development team's work plan. Key evidence-based areas of need are identified by both the Community Response Forum and its partner agencies using interviews and surveys with residents in emergency accommodation and from this feedback solutions and responses are developed in response.  Urgent issues arising in areas such as social welfare, health, educational and material can be supported quickly and effectively in most cases.

The most recently announced Community Recognition Fund, through the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD), aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries.  It can fund community, sporting, recreational infrastructure and equipment (but excluding any operational/running costs) in local communities with new arrivals, i.e. both Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection and international protection applicants.  This funding has been distributed across all local authorities based on the number of new arrivals located there, including relative to the overall population in that area.  This Council has been allocated €2,754,305 under the fund, which is the fourth-highest allocation nationally.

Proposals for funding must be developed based on direct engagement with impacted communities and in consultation with the Area Committees, Local Community Development Committee and the local Community Response Forum and be consistent with the Local Economic and Community Plan.  It should be noted that the conditions of the fund are challenging with proposals to be submitted to the DRCD no later than 15th March 2023 and approved projects must spend 60% of their allocated budget in 2023 but various sections of the Council, together with local agencies and communities, will seek to develop appropriate proposals for submission to DRCD.

Separately, it should be noted that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has responsibility for providing accommodation for both  beneficiaries of temporary protection arriving from Ukraine and persons arriving from elsewhere seeking international protection.