Social Inclusion

Social exclusion can affect all areas of society where, for reasons such as gender, race, ethnicity, disability, educational disadvantage or inadequate resources, people may be excluded and marginalised from participating in activities regarded as normal by Irish society.

The existing policy framework for dealing with social inclusion issues is contained in a number of high-level national strategies, notably the national partnership agreement Towards 2016, the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2000–2016 and the National Development Plan (NDP).

The core objective of these strategies is to build a fair and inclusive society where all people are provided with the resources and opportunities to live with dignity and to help make Ireland a fairer place in which to live and work, visit and do business.

As the remit of the Justice family of agencies and services is substantial, the issue of social inclusion touches on many areas of the work of the Justice and Equality sector, from gender equality and disability equality to immigration and probation welfare, and from law reform to supporting diversity and tolerance. The Department’s commitment to such issues of social inclusion ensures an ongoing concerted effort to inform and enhance this concept, to effectively co-ordinate the production of all programmes and projects and to present these matters effectively in the public.

Find out about the European Social Fund: http://www.esf.ie/en/hci-overview.aspx