Funding - EU - ERF Annual Programme 2009
ANNUAL PROGRAMME
| MEMBER STATE: | Ireland |
| FUND: | European Refugee Fund |
| RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY: | Office of the Minister for Integration |
| YEAR COVERED: | 2009 |
1. GENERAL RULES FOR SELECTION OF PROJECTS TO BE FINANCED UNDER THE PROGRAMME
POBAL will, on behalf of the responsible authority, publish a call for proposals in the national media seeking applications for funding from relevant organisations. The call for proposals will take place in November 2009. It is likely that 6 to 8 weeks will be given for replies. A further 6 to 8 weeks will be allowed for appraisal after which the Pobal board will make its decision on the successful applicants. The call will be publicised in the national and/or local newspapers and the websites of Pobal and the Office of the Minister for Integration (OMI) and by any other appropriate means. Assessment of applications will be based, inter alia, upon the criteria set out in Appendix 4 of the Description of the Management and Control System.
In assessing and deciding on applications, equal and non-discriminatory treatment is guaranteed.
No use of the "executing mode" will be made for implementation of the actions.
Subject to the receipt of suitable proposals Ireland intends to adopt a Multi annual approach.
2. CHANGES IN THE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL SYSTEMS (if appropriate)
The final version will be submitted shortly. This will take into account comments received from the Commission in December 2008 and in the course of a preliminary audit visit in May 2009.
3. ACTIONS TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE PROGRAMME UNDER THE PRIORITIES CHOSEN
It is proposed to use the Fund this year to support Priorities 1 and 3.
3.1 Actions implementing Priority 1
Action 1a Reception
The action will include the following elements:
 a | provision of material aid and medical or psychological care to members of the target groups set out in Article 6 of the basic act; |
| a | education, language training and other initiatives which are consistent with the status of persons being assisted; |
| a | provision of practical support to asylum seekers during the asylum process; and |
| a | projects involving local communities in the reception of and interaction with the target groups set out in Article 6 of the basic act. |
 | |
- N/A
5. Visibility
OMI is the responsible authority for both the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals and the European Refugee Fund and the same cadre of staff is involved in the administration of both. This will ensure that no overlap between Funds takes place.
Action 1b Reception
1. Purpose of the Action2. Expected grant recipients are NGOs, local authorities, other public bodies and any other organisations with the capacity to carry out this action.
N/A
4. Expected quantified results and indicators; number of projects supported; number and categories of persons benefiting; number in vulnerable categories benefiting.
5. Visibility
OMI is the responsible authority for both the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals and the European Refugee Fund and the same cadre of staff is involved in the administration of both. This will ensure that no overlap between Funds takes place.
Action 2 Integration
The action will support the integration into Irish society of persons from the target groups of the Fund whose stay in Ireland is of a lasting and stable nature. It will include the following elements:
| a | advice and assistance in areas such as housing, means of subsistence, integration into the labour market, medical, psychological and social care; |
| a | projects enabling persons to adapt to Irish society in socio-cultural terms and to share the values enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; |
| a | projects to promote durable and sustainable participation in civil and cultural life; |
| a | measures focussing on education and vocational training; |
| a | projects designed to promote self-empowerment and to enable persons to provide for themselves; |
| a | projects to promote meaningful contact and constructive dialogue between such persons and Irish society including projects which promote the involvement of partners such as the general public, local authorities, refugee associations, voluntary groups, social partners and civil society; |
| a | measures to support the acquisition of skills by persons, including language training; |
| a | projects to promote awareness of and information on persons’ rights and entitlements; and |
| a | projects to facilitate service providers in making their services more culturally-appropriate |
| |
2. Expected grant recipients are NGOs, local authorities, other public bodies and any other organisations with the capacity to carry out this action.
N/A
4. Expected quantified results and indicators; number of projects and measures undertaken; number and categories of the target group assisted or participating.
5. Visibility
OMI is the responsible authority for both the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals and the European Refugee Fund and the same cadre of staff is involved in the administration of both. This will ensure that no overlap between Funds takes place.
- Responsibility for the Employment of People from Immigrant Communities project, which is co-financed by the European Social Fund, is also with OMI and some staff concerned with the ERF also work on this. This project assists EEA nationals and non-EEA nationals with permission to work in the State in accessing the labour market. As such, it is complementary with part of this action.
3.2 Actions implementing Priority 3
These actions will consist of Resettlement activities (Action 3a) and Resettlement activities for resettlement of persons from a country or region designated for the implementation of RPP integration measures (Action 3b). It is proposed that the implementation period will be 12-18 months from the date the grant is awarded while respecting the eligibility period for the Annual Programme 2009.1. Purpose of the Action
This action will support the reception and resettlement of persons admitted under the Government's resettlement programme other than persons from Regional Protection Programme areas.
The action will provide funding to organisations and service providers based in the receiving communities where resettled persons will be permanently located. Provision will also be made to fund organisations from outside of the receiving locality where such organisations provide direct services to resettled persons during the first 12 – 18 months of the resettlement period.
Priority will be given to projects that (a) meet the immediate needs of the resettled persons e.g. counselling services, language programmes etc. (b) build the capacity of the receiving community, (c) build links between the resettled persons and the receiving community, (d) add value to existing services and (e) address gaps in services for resettled persons.
- NA
5. Visibility
The EU logo will be incorporated in relevant documents such as advertisements, guidelines and application forms. Appropriate provisions with regard to the visibility of the EU logo will be included in the Grant agreements.
OMI is the responsible authority for the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country nationals and the European Refugee Fund and the same cadre of staff is involved in the administration of both Funds. This will ensure that no overlap between Funds takes place.
The call for proposals will make clear that actions financed by other EC instruments are not eligible.
Action 3 b
1. Purpose of the Action
This action will support the reception and resettlement of persons admitted under the Government's resettlement programme who come from Regional Protection Programme areas. It will be targeted at persons from the Democratic Republic of Congo and/or another community, yet to be determined, that may be admitted in 2010 from an RPP area.
The action will provide funding to organisations and service providers based in the receiving communities where resettled persons will be permanently located. Provision will also be made to fund organisations from outside of the receiving locality where such organisations provide direct services to resettled persons during the first 12 – 18 months of the resettlement period.
Priority will be given to projects that (a) meet the immediate needs of the resettled persons e.g. counselling services, language programmes etc. (b) build the capacity of the receiving community, (c) build links between the resettled persons and the receiving community, (d) add value to existing services and (e) address gaps in services for resettled persons.
2. Expected grant recipients are NGOs, service providers, and community organisations.
- NA
5. Visibility
The EU logo will be incorporated in relevant documents such as advertisements, guidelines and application forms. Appropriate provisions with regard to the visibility of the EU logo will be included in the Grant agreements.
OMI is the responsible authority for the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country nationals and the European Refugee Fund and the same cadre of staff is involved in the administration of both Funds. This will ensure that no overlap between Funds takes place.
The call for proposals will make clear that actions financed by other EC instruments are not eligible.
4. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
4.1 Purpose of the technical assistance
In accordance with the provisions of the Basic Act technical assistance will be used to finance preparatory actions, management, monitoring, evaluation, information and control and other measures relating to the administration of the fund. Pobal will manage and maintain the European Integration Fund on behalf of OMI and will report to us. This management responsibility of Pobal will involve six main dimensions. Briefly these are as follows:| a | The appraisal and selection process and the decision on the grant to successful applicant |
| a | Financial management, control and audit separate from the functions of the certifying and audit authorities |
| a | Support for the selected projects |
| a | Monitoring the work of beneficiaries and learning lessons from good practice |
| a | Information dissemination about the fund |
| a | Regular liaison with and reporting to the OMI. |
The responsible authority will organize an information activity referred to in Article 33(2)(a) of the Implementing Rules.
4.2 Expected quantified results
Pobal will:
| |
| a | Draft guidelines, application form and advertisement for the call for proposals and agree them with OMI; |
| a | Place the application form and guidelines on their website; |
| a | Appraise applications in accordance with the prescribed criteria and decide whether to approve them; |
| a | Advise OMI of their decision; |
| a | Notify applicants of the outcome of their application; |
| a | Review applications in accordance with their established practice if requested to do so by the applicant; |
| a | Check that all pre-funding conditions are met by the successful applicants; |
| a | Conclude a grant agreement with the project; |
| a | Conduct financial management and payment of the grant in tranches, subsequent tranches depending on expenditure reports and satisfactory progress; |
| a | Request funding periodically from OMI, specifying amounts paid and to which projects, expected payments and amounts on hand as well as expenditure on administration; |
| a | Conduct verification checks on projects; |
| a | Provide appropriate information, training and guidance to beneficiaries; |
| a | Support projects to deliver on their plans; |
| a | Facilitate opportunities for exchange of models of good practice; |
| a | Monitor the impact of projects by reference to their targets; |
| a | Provide information to OMI on foot of requests from the Commission, parliamentary questions or otherwise; |
| a | Place information about successful projects on their website; |
| a | Report to OMI at six-monthly intervals on expenditure and operational activity on a basis to be agreed with OMI. |
| |
4.3 Visibility of EC funding
The EU logo will be incorporated in relevant documents such as Advertisements, guidelines and application forms. Appropriate provisions with regard to the visibility of the EU logo will be included in the grant agreements.
2. OTHER OPERATIONS
Ireland pledged to accept 170 persons falling into the categories specified in Article 13(3) of the basic act.
The decision on who Ireland will accept for resettlement i.e. the country of origin/country of refuge is taken in consultation with the UNHCR. Applications for resettlement are submitted by the UNHCR and are examined by OMI in consultation with other Government bodies as necessary. Cases are selected following face to face interviews (selection mission) in the country of refuge or on the basis of a paper based application (dossier).
Of the 170 persons pledged, 91 refugees have arrived as of 31 July, 2009. 61 arrived as a result of selection missions while the remaining 30 were dossier cases. A further group of 74 DR Congolese refugees, currently based in Tanzania, are due to arrive in early September 2009 and will be resettled into the receiving community in mid-November. Therefore, the total number of arrivals in Ireland of Article 13(3) persons is now anticipated to be 165.
Within the 61 group arrivals to date:
- 51 Burmese Rohingyan refugees arrived from Bangladesh. All were women and children at risk and the caseload included 2 medical needs cases.
10 DR Congolese refugees arrived from Tanzania in advance of the pending group arrival. This was a medical needs case as well as coming within the Regional Protection Programme category.
Within the 30 dossier case arrivals to date:
- All 30 cases were referred on the basis of serious medical needs.
The caseload included 2 Iraqi referrals.
Other nationalities included were Burmese, Iranian and Palestinian.
On their arrival, the persons to be resettled are accommodated in the National Orientation and Training Centre in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo for a period of 8 weeks where they undergo training to prepare them for independent living in the community. The Rohingyans have since been resettled in Carlow. The DR Congolese have been placed in Dublin where they are near the relevant medical treatment. The 74 further DR Congolese will be accommodated initially in Ballyhaunis and long-term in Monaghan where they will be the subject of a project under the 2008 ERF Annual Programme.
5. DRAFT FINANCING PLAN
Annual Programme – Draft Financial Plan | ||||||||
Table 1 – Overview table | ||||||||
| IRELAND | ||||||||
| 2009 | ||||||||
| EUROPEAN REFUGEE FUND | ||||||||
| ||||||||
(all figures in euro) | Ref. priority | Ref. specific priority(1) | Community Contribution (a) | Public Allocation (b) | Private Allocation (c) | TOTAL (d=a+b+c) | %EC (e=a/d) | Share of total (f=d/total d) |
| Action 1a | 1 | | 200,000.00 | 0 | 200,000.00 | 400,000.00 | 50 | 13.69% |
| Action 1b | 1 | 1 | 105,998 | | 35,293.34 | 141,281.34 | 75 | 4.84% |
| Action 2: | 1 | | 500,000.00 | | 500,000.00 | 1,000,000.00 | 50 | 34.21% |
| Action 3a: | 3 | | 100,000.00 | 30,000.00 | | 200,000.00 | 50% | 6.85% |
| Action 3b | 3 | 1 | 285,000.00 | 95,000.00 | | 380,000.00 | 75 | 13.00% |
| Technical Assistance | | | 121,901.67 | | | 121,901.67 | 100.00% | 4.17% |
| Other operations (2) | | | 680,000.00 | | | 680,000.00 | 100.00% | |
| TOTAL | | | 30,000.00 | 568,552.24 | 1,561,152.36 | 61.66% | 100.00% | |
| | | 1,992.889.67 | 195,000.00 | 735,293.34 | 2,923,183.01 | 68.18% | 100.00% |
(2) Fixed amount under Art 13(3) of the Basic Act
[John Hurley,
Responsible Authority
signature of the responsible person]
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