Press release
Minister Humphreys announces funding for two additional projects to support Family Carers
From Department of Social Protection
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Last updated on
- additional €77,000 in funding to support carers in accessing employment, education and training
- 7 projects will now receive financial support to empower hundreds of Family Carers across the country
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has today announced funding for two additional projects under an initiative to support and improve the employment opportunities for Family Carers.
Finglas Community Support Service and Galway Autism Partnership will receive funding totalling almost €77,000 under the initiative.
These projects will focus on the demands placed on young carers in balancing their learning and family caring commitments.
The projects will provide the practical supports required for carers to re-enter work and education. They will also place equal emphasis on addressing the emotional, physical and mental wellbeing of the carers involved.
Today’s announcement builds on the €700,000 funding announced by Minister Humphreys in December and means a total of seven projects will now receive financial support to empower hundreds of Family Carers across the country.
Announcing the two additional successful projects today, Minister Humphreys said:
“As Minister for Social Protection, supporting our family carers, and in particular young carers, has always been a key priority of mine.
“Last December, following an assessment process organised by Pobal, I was delighted to announce funding of almost €700,000 to benefit five projects. I am now pleased to say that a further two projects will now be commencing activities under this initiative.
“These projects are designed to empower our Family Carers and to provide the practical supports required for carers to re-enter work and education.”
The two projects will carry out a range of activities including career skills development through placement opportunities, CV preparation, IT workshops and career guidance.
The seven successful projects under this initiative will run until June 2024. Pobal is managing the measure on behalf of the Department of Social Protection.
Pobal is a not-for-profit intermediary organisation that manages various funding programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the EU.
The Dormant Accounts Acts 2001-2012, together with the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003, provide a framework for the administration of unclaimed accounts in credit institutions (that is, banks, building societies and An Post) and unclaimed life assurance policies in insurance undertakings.
The main purpose of the legislation is to reunite account or policy holders with their funds in credit institutions or insurance undertakings and in this regard, these bodies are required to take steps to identify and contact the owners of dormant accounts and unclaimed life assurance policies.
In order to utilise the unused funds in dormant accounts and unclaimed policies to best use, the legislation also introduced a scheme for the disbursement of funds that are unlikely to be reclaimed from dormant accounts and unclaimed policies for the purposes of measures to assist:
- the personal and social development of people who are economically or socially disadvantaged
- the educational development of people who are educationally disadvantaged
- people with a disability