Irish Aid is a funding program that is sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Its goal is to aid poor nations in their development. One of the many programs offered is the Civil Society Fund. This fund is meant to achieve the Millennium Development goals and similar goals of reducing poverty and advocating human rights. The specific goals of the fund are to support civil society's role in interactions with the government and encourage civil society's role in good governance and other matters.
Irish Aid Headquarters, Limerick
Department of Foreign Affairs
Riverstone House, 23-27 Henry Street
Limerick
353 1 408 2000
http://irishaid.gov.ie/
The Irish Arts Council is a government agency that provides funding for artistic groups and individuals. An example of one of the many projects it funds is the Visual Artists in Prison Scheme, which provides visual artists to perform workshops over a 10-day period in Irish prisons. These workshops are part of an established educational program in the prison. An example of a program for individuals is the Architecture Bursary Award, which awards 15,000 Euros to architects. There are many grants for organizations as well. For instance, the Theatre Development Funding Scheme awards up to 20,000 Euros to theater and other arts organizations to mentor theatrical artists.
Council funding may be used to fund projects outside of Ireland as well. In order to strengthen its cultural ties to the U.S., the Council will give 3.5 million dollars to help construct a new Irish Arts Center in Manhattan. The City of New York will contribute over seven million dollars to the project as well.
Various types of housing grants are available to people living in Ireland. For instance, people with disabilities can apply for a Housing Adaptation Grant for People with Disabilities to pay for construction of facilities to accommodate their disabilities. Accommodations may include installing chair lifts, making a home wheelchair accessible or installing a ground floor bathroom. If only minor construction needs to be done, individuals can apply for the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme.