Tánaiste Coveney and Minister Cannon announce €1.18m in Development Education

Tánaiste Coveney and Minister of State Cannon announce €1.18 million in Development Education funding

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, TD, and the Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Ciarán Cannon, TD, today announced the allocation of €1.18 million in funding to 30 development education organisations working throughout Ireland.

Announcing the funding, the Tánaiste stated:

“I am announcing an allocation of €1.18 million to organisations working to bring quality development education to a wide audience in a variety of settings – the classroom, the university, the youth group and the community group.  This is an increase of €100,000 over the development education funding provided in 2017. 

Target 4.7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals calls on states to provide education to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. Development education strengthens the understanding of global dimensions of the SDGs and is critical to achieving the transformative change that defines the Goals. This funding will support projects and programmes that will empower people to analyse and challenge the root causes and consequences of global hunger, poverty and injustice.”

Minister Cannon went on to say:

“The Irish Aid Development Education strategy 2017 – 2023 sets out our ambition for development education in Ireland over the coming years. The annual grants funding is vital for the organisations working on the ground making the strategy and the SDGs real for people.  The organisations provide a space for members of the public to explore what it means to be an active global citizen and to fight for a fairer and more sustainable future for all the world‘s citizens. The projects create a stronger community of people who are aware of their role as global citizens”.

ENDS

Press Office

6 April 2018

Notes to the Editor:

The Irish Aid development education budget for 2018 is €3.9 million. Approximately €1.9 million of this budget is allocated to a number of multi-annual strategic partnerships. Grants totalling €1,180,000 are being awarded to 30 organisations under the 2018 development education annual grants round. 

The development education annual grant scheme is a competitive process under which grants of between €10,000 and €180,000 for 12 month projects are awarded to Irish based organisations and educational institutions to support innovative development education initiatives.  A call for proposals was published on the Irish Aid website in October 2017. All applications were assessed by Irish Aid officials and external consultants.  The appraisal process assessed organisational capacity to deliver the proposed projects and intended results. 

Irish Aid supports Irish development education organisations to compete for EU Commission DEAR funding (Development Education and Awareness Raising) by providing 10% co-funding where resources permit.  This enables our development education partners to collaborate with their counterparts throughout Europe.

SDG target 4.7: By 2030 ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

Details of the organisations funded are as follows:

Organisations funded under the Development Education Annual grant 2018

Co-funding for Irish organisations in receipt of funding from the EU Commission DEAR (Development Education and Awareness Raising) Scheme