€20,000 awarded to D15 organisation Empower to fund International Protection integration project

I am delighted to award €20,000 in International Protection Integration Funding to Empower, an organisation which has great expertise in supporting individuals in Dublin 15 with access to jobs, education, training, mentoring and in supporting social inclusion. I am very much looking forward to the rollout of their Asylum-seeker Refugee Employment Support project, which will help individuals who have come to Ireland seeking international protection to gain skills for employment and progress into the job market.

I want to commend the staff team at Empower for the work they have done, and that they continue to do in Dublin 15, strengthening community integration and breaking down the barriers that can exist in front of international protection applicants when accessing employment.

Empower is being awarded €20,000 in funding under the International Protection Integration Fund 2022. The Fund will see a total of €1.6 million awarded to 67 community-based organisations across Ireland.

Empower’s proposed project, Asylum-seeker Refugee Employment Support (ARES), aims to support international protection applicants who are being accommodated in the Fingal area to access employment. Empower will provide a range of collective and individualised supports, which will include group training in English language for employment, and manual handling and health and safety trainings. Empower will also support international protection applicants to integrate into Irish society with information on how to open bank accounts, apply for driving licences, access libraries and engage with local community groups and sports clubs.