The Irish Government has injected fresh momentum into its community-integration agenda by allocating €3.613 million to 117 civil-society projects under the 2025 Integration Fund. Announcing the winners on 12 November, Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy said the grants—worth up to €100,000 each—will finance language classes, employment mentoring, cultural mediation and mental-health initiatives in every county. The new fund merges the former Communities Integration Fund and International Protection Integration Fund into a single, streamlined scheme, bringing total Government investment in grass-roots integration since 2017 to almost €10 million.
Projects were selected following a competitive call that attracted more than 300 applications from NGOs, sports clubs, migrant-led associations and local authorities. Successful proposals include a STEM-mentorship programme for refugee girls in Cork, a Galway business-incubator for Ukrainian entrepreneurs and a Traveller-Roma intercultural music project in Donegal. Each project must demonstrate measurable outcomes—such as numbers of migrants securing jobs or school places—within 12 months.
![Government awards €3.6 million Integration Fund to 117 migrant-support projects]()
According to the Department of Justice, Ireland now hosts 120,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine and more than 30,000 people in the International Protection (asylum) system. Brophy said the Integration Fund is designed to ease pressure on State services by “empowering communities to help newcomers settle, learn English and contribute economically much sooner”.
For employers, the announcement signals additional local supports—especially language tuition and skills recognition—for recent hires who arrived on work permits. Mobility managers are advised to monitor funded projects in regions where they have operations; free classes or mentoring schemes may reduce onboarding costs. Organisations interested in the 2026 round should expect the call for proposals to open next spring, with a stronger focus on digital-skills training.
Projects were selected following a competitive call that attracted more than 300 applications from NGOs, sports clubs, migrant-led associations and local authorities. Successful proposals include a STEM-mentorship programme for refugee girls in Cork, a Galway business-incubator for Ukrainian entrepreneurs and a Traveller-Roma intercultural music project in Donegal. Each project must demonstrate measurable outcomes—such as numbers of migrants securing jobs or school places—within 12 months.
According to the Department of Justice, Ireland now hosts 120,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine and more than 30,000 people in the International Protection (asylum) system. Brophy said the Integration Fund is designed to ease pressure on State services by “empowering communities to help newcomers settle, learn English and contribute economically much sooner”.
For employers, the announcement signals additional local supports—especially language tuition and skills recognition—for recent hires who arrived on work permits. Mobility managers are advised to monitor funded projects in regions where they have operations; free classes or mentoring schemes may reduce onboarding costs. Organisations interested in the 2026 round should expect the call for proposals to open next spring, with a stronger focus on digital-skills training.
