A QUARTER of a million euro has been approved to enhance the integration of immigrants in Dublin through entrepreneurship, sports and storytelling projects.
Integration Minister John Curran last week announced that Dublin City Council would receive the monies to “promote the integration of immigrants in Irish life”.
Dublin City Council administers the local authority area with the largest number of foreign nationals in the State. In the 2006 Census, some 73,989 immigrants lived in the city – amounting to 15 per cent of the population.
And despite the recession and consequent job losses, a statement from the Office of the Minister for Integration stated that there is ” no reason” to assume that this population has declined.
Speaking about the funding allocation, Minister Curran said: “I am pleased to say that Dublin City Council has been proactive in its response to integration and has put in place innovative measures to recognise the significant change in Dublin life.
He continued: “The council’s ongoing commitment to initiating and facilitating dialogue and co-operation at city and local level with migrant networks and NGOs clearly demonstrates the Dublin City Council’s commitment to face the challenge the of integration and get it right. ”
The measures to be financed through this grant include the expansion of the Tell Me More language programme; the Libraries Intercultural Prog-ramme; a digital storytelling and multi media project; an ethnic entrepreneurship programme; an anti-racism transport campaign; a Dublin City sports Integration initiative; integration dialogue forums; developing monitoring mechanisms and indicators on integration at city level; and grants to local groups carrying out integration measures.
Minister Curran concluded that he would shortly make an announcement in relation to funding for other such local authorities.
