Tánaiste announces funding for Dublin-Monaghan bombing victims

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore, T.D., today renewed his support for Justice for the Forgotten, the support group for victims and relatives of those killed in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

The Tánaiste announced a grant of €48,000 for the group following a meeting with members at Leinster House. The renewed funding, to be delivered through the Pat Finucane Centre, will allow Justice for the Forgotten to continue its important work, having faced a funding crisis in recent months.

The announcement comes ahead of the 40th anniversary of the bombings on May 17th. 

Justice for the Forgotten is one of 75 groups that will receive support totalling €1,335,500 from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under its Reconciliation and Anti-Sectarianism Funds.

The funds assist community organisations working on both sides of the border with their work in support of reconciliation.

Speaking today of the renewed impetus required to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland conflict, the Tánaiste said:

“The 17th of May marks the fortieth anniversary of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings.  Justice for the Forgotten has worked steadfastly over many years on behalf of the families of those killed and injured on that terrible day. This grant of €48,000 will ensure that its valuable work continues. My meeting today, as well as other recent events in Northern Ireland, are a reminder to us all that more needs to be done to address the legacy of the conflict, including taking account of those who were injured and bereaved in this jurisdiction.

I call in particular on the Northern Ireland parties to demonstrate a renewed commitment to resolving the outstanding issues discussed in the Haass talks. This continues to offer the best means of dealing with the legacy of the past as well as addressing parades, flags and identity issues. The Government, along with the British Government, will continue to support them in this work.”

The Reconciliation and Anti-Sectarianism Funding announced today will support cross-community outreach projects within Northern Ireland and in the border counties, as well co-operation at community level across Ireland and between Ireland and Britain.

Examples of projects include:

• A project to develop an agreed cross-community anti-sectarianism charter led by Interaction Belfast;
• A storytelling project to deal with the legacy of the past, led by the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace based in Warrington, UK;
• A project involving two rural communities in counties Donegal and Tyrone will be led by the Forge Family Resource Centre – activities include a cross-community cross-border youth club and an intergenerational project to enable older residents share their experiences with young people;
• Top of the Hill 2010, who will engage residents at an interface point in Derry by implementing a range of educational and social activities to promote inclusion and the use of shared space.

Press Office

6 May 2014

Note for Editors:

• As part of the Good Friday Agreement, all parties to the Agreement undertook to “positively examine the case for enhanced financial assistance for the work of reconciliation.”
• As a result, since the signing of the Agreement the Irish Government has provided significant support through the Reconciliation Fund and the Anti-Sectarianism Fund. The 2014 budget for both funds is €2.7 million. Approximately half of that budget is accounted for with the grants announced today.
• Since 1999, the two Funds have between them disbursed €40 million to some 1,600 projects working to further reconciliation.
• Applications for the next round of funding must be received by Friday 26th September 2014; information and application forms can be found at www.dfa.ie/reconciliation
• Justice for the Forgotten represents bereaved families and survivors, both of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974, and of other bombings in this jurisdiction.

Projects approved for funding are set out below (RF denotes Reconciliation Fund, ASF denotes Anti-Sectarianism Fund):

ENDS