Cork East Fine Gael TD and Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton today welcomed increased funding for measures to support equality measures in Budget to 2017.
“The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is to receive an additional €300,000 to allow the Commission to recruit additional staff to enhance the work it is already foing to promote and protect human rights and equality in Irish society.
“The National Women’s Council of Ireland will receive a 20% increase in funding to build on an increase in funding this year. This will bring the total allocation to the NWCI to €480,000 in 2017.
“An extra €1 million in funding will also be provided for targeted initiatives for the Traveller Community. This will allow for the further development of services and is being put in place alongside the development of a new Traveller and Roma Inclusions Strategy for 2016-2020 which it is hoped will be approved by the end of 2016.
“In addition to these measures for which I am responsible as Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration, there are a number of other areas within the Department of Justice and Equality which will benefit from substantial extra resources in the coming year”, said Minister Stanton.
“Funding of €600,000 will be provided for crime prevention measures and supports for victims of crime in particular to honour commitments under the Programme for Government for domestic violence perpetrator programmes to fulfil requirements under the Council of Europe Convention on preventing violence against women and domestic violence and an awareness raising campaign on domestic and sexual violence.
“A total of €2.7 million will be provided under Dormant Accounts Funding for measures to address social disadvantage such as Garda Youth Diversion Programmes and other Irish Youth Justice Community Programmes.