The Minister of State for European Affairs, Peter Burke T.D., today congratulated 34 local community groups, educational institutes, youth organisations, local media organisations and NGOs who have been awarded funding under the Department of Foreign Affairs 2023 Communicating Europe Initiative scheme.
Minister Burke also announced that €150,000 is being made available to Local Authorities across Ireland for projects which should take place on around Europe day (9 May 2023) or Europe Week (8-12 May 2023). The scheme for ‘Local Authority EU50 led Events’ is now open with a closing deadline of 8th March next. Details are available here EU50 | Ireland – this is Ireland.
2023 marks 50 years since Ireland joined the European Communities, now the European Union. The Government’s EU50 programme, which began in January 2022 and which continues to May this year is marking this historic milestone. Both the Communicating Europe scheme 2023 and local authority funding will play an important role in bringing EU50 to communities across the country.
Announcing the Communicating Europe funding allocations for community and voluntary organisations for 2023, the Minister of State congratulated the 34 successful projects, all of which will make an extremely valuable contribution to the ongoing debate on Ireland’s place in, and the future role of, the European Union.
The Minister said:
“As Minister for European Affairs, I am very happy that we were able to almost double the funding awarded this year under the Communicating Europe Initiative, to over €172,000. It is particularly fitting that many of this year’s projects are in line with Government’s EU50 programme to mark 50 years of our EU membership.
The type of successful projects this year is really varied – various school events, a third level art/creative writing competition, community projects and podcasts. There will also be an important nationwide project looking at the positive role of the EU in advancing women’s rights over the past 50 years.
I look forward to engaging directly with many of the projects and seeing them come to fruition over the coming months.
I am also very happy to announce that a further €150,000 will be available to Local Authorities for events and projects to take place around Europe week this May.”
