Emigrant services and organisations involved in reconciliation will receive more than €1.7 million in grants announced by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern.
A total of €1,113,250 has been allocated to 42 groups involved in cross-community and cross-border outreach and reconciliation work, under the department's reconciliation fund.
In separate funding, €631,435 has been allocated to 36 organisations providing support services to Irish emigrants in Britain, Australia and, for the first time, Canada.
The department will spend €12 million on emigrant services in 2006, a 45 per cent increase on 2005.
The reconciliation grants range from €300,000 for the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Co Wicklow, one of the largest organisations in Ireland devoted to peacebuilding, to €750 for the New Ireland Group, founded to provide a forum for discussion for people who cannot easily identify with any of the political parties. Its allocation is to defray the cost of its latest pamphlet Farewell to Arms.
Other grants include €20,000 to the Pat Finucane Centre, a human rights organisation, for individual case work the centre carries out for families.
Encounter, an organisation established in 1983 by the British and Irish governments to promote mutual understanding and improve relations between people in Britain and Ireland, is to receive €75,000.
A "Dreamscheme" project run by Carnany Community Association in the predominantly loyalist estate of Carnany and mixed estate of Cloughmills, Co Antrim, will receive €12,500 to assist in dealing with sectarianism and directing young people away from anti-social behaviour.
Mr Ahern said that "the vital work carried out by these community organisations gives life to the values of partnership, mutual respect and tolerance, espoused by the Good Friday agreement".
He highlighted projects like the Carnany Dreamscheme and the Meath Peace Group, allocated €20,000, which promotes understanding through "peace talks", seminars and debates.
The Minister said of the 42 organisations that the work they carried out, "often in the most challenging of circumstances, has an impact beyond that of their own communities and supports the wider political efforts to achieve constructive engagement and agreement".
Thirty-two organisations in Britain that support Irish emigrants will receive a total of €530,852 ranging from €1,466 (£1,000) to Cara to €175,914 (£120,000) to Luton Irish Forum.
Further details of the grants are available at www.dfa.ie
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