Funding Awarded Under Communicating Europe Initiative

25 non-governmental organisations and local community groups across Ireland have been awarded funding under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 2019 Communicating Europe Initiative.

The new funding packages sees 10 more projects benefit from the €100,000 than last year.

Successful initiatives are as follows:

• Future of Europe – Junior Achievement Ireland EU4Youth series of events, Smashing Times Theatre Group Citizens in an Equal Europe series of events, Waterford Sustainable Living Initiative Europe 2030 Sustainable Living project.

• Third level – TU Dublin What does the EU mean for you?, UL Communicating Europe through the Media project.

• Second level schools – European Youth Parliament Ireland 2019 series of events, CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory School's Toolkit Engaging Space for a better Europe, The Graduate EU website, Our lady's Secondary School Castleblaney Conference on the future of the Irish border and the EU.

• Primary schools – UCC My Big Friendly Guide to the European Union website.

• Youth – Children's Rights Alliance Guide to European Rights online, Young Social Innovators Know your MEP.

• Civil Society – Aontas You and EU podcast series. European Anti-Poverty Network European Pillar of Social Rights website, Free Legal Advice Centres Seminar on EU Charter of Fundamental rights, The Wheel European engagement for Irish civil society, UCC Centre for Law and the Environment Two seminars on EU environmental law.

• Media – UL Communicating Europe through the Media project, Europe United podcast series, Near Media EP election radio debate, SuddonSet Cork podcast series, UL WhichCandidate European Parliament Elections website/app.

• Local Community events – Ballinderreen, Co Galway Europe of the Future weekend, Inniscarra Twinning Association, Co Cork Twinning weekend of events, IRD Duhallow, Co Cork Two Europe in Duhallow workshops, Sligo Family Resource Centre Migrant integration weekend event.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney TD, together with the Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee TD congratulated the organisations yesterday.

Announcing the funding allocation for 2019, the Tánaiste said: "The range of ambitious projects funded under this year's Communicating Europe Initiative is testament to the high level of interest across all sectors of civil society to engage on EU issues. Projects funded this year include a European Parliament election voter app, a Know your MEP campaign, a project on the role of the EU in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, projects aimed at adult learners, children's European Rights online, the European Social Pillar, the EU charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Youth parliament Ireland 2019 as well as a number of local community events in Cork, Galway and Sligo.

"The 25 successful projects, 10 more than last year, will make extremely valuable contributions to the ongoing debate on the Future of Europe and I congratulate all the groups who have received funding."

Minster McEntee added: "On Europe Day, I'm delighted to announce funding of €100,000 to 25 organisations under the Communicationg Europe Initiative. The high level of interest in this year's scheme, together with the variety of projects, reflects the desire of Irish people to understand and have access to quality information on European issues."