Launch of the North East Inner City Initiative’s 2025 Progress Report

This morning, Taoiseach Micheál Martin T.D. joined the North East Inner City Initiative Programme Implementation Board to launch their 2025 Progress Report. 

Since 2016, the Government has committed over €60.7 million in funding to support the NEIC Initiative which has been working to improve the lives of residents and community members in Dublin’s North East Inner City. 

This is the ninth Progress Report by the NEIC Initiative, and it outlines the extensive body of work undertaken by the Programme Implementation Board in 2025. Key to the Initiative is the collaborative work by a range of stakeholders including An Garda Síochána, the Local Community Safety Partnership, relevant Government Departments, State Agencies, local business and local community representatives.

Speaking today at St Agatha’s Hall on Dunne Street, D1, the Taoiseach remarked:

“I am delighted to be here today to launch the North East Inner City Initiative’s 2025 Annual Report and to see the impacts that NEIC driven projects are having. 

It was great to hear a first-hand account by the students at O’Connell Secondary School of the positive impact that the Initiative is having in supporting young people through areas such as education, sports and wellbeing, music and creativity, and through innovative pilot initiatives like City Connects and the P-TECH Programme. 

As well as supporting young people, the Initiative is making progress across all of its key objectives. I know however that challenges still remain and I encourage the Programme Implementation Board to continue to innovate, listen and respond to the needs of this great community.”

Speaking on behalf of the Programme Implementation Board, Liz Canavan, interim Chair said: 

“The Programme Implementation Board works to drive change in the North East Inner City and this work could not succeed without the continued input from local community representatives, a vital presence on the Programme Implementation Board and as a part of the Initiative as a whole” 

Some highlights from the 2025 Progress Report include:

• In September 2025, City Connects was expanded by the Department of Education and Youth to students up to Junior Cycle in the five NEIC post-primary schools and two community-based high support schools.  Providing approximately 1,000 additional students with a sustained level of support.
• 80 students graduated with their Level 6 Special Purpose Award P-TECH (Pathway to Technology) programme operating in five NEIC post-primary schools.
• The NEIC Transition Year Programme provided high quality work experience placements and mentoring by business organisations across six NEIC post-primary schools. Over the 2024/25 academic year, 422 work experience placements were arranged for 218 students with 82 professional organisations around Dublin.
• The NEIC funded the 0-5 Multi-Disciplinary Team which supports children and their parents, from pregnancy to age 5, with a focus on prevention and early intervention. Between January and September 2025, the service engaged approximately 250 families through targeted and specialist interventions, delivered group-based interventions to over 590 groups, and trained and supported practitioners across health, education, and community sectors, building local capacity for early intervention.
• A new NEIC Intercultural Team was established with a focus on community cohesion. The Team has had over 250 engagements with the community including one-on- one meetings, hosting and attending events and workshops.  
• Liberty Park was reopened following refurbishment works and now provides play trails and fitness challenges.
• On Culture Night, Our Lady of Lourdes Church in the NEIC hosted over 1,800 for a performance by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and guest cellist Patrick Dexter.  Recognising the impact of the night, the event won the Best Event Innovation category at the Event Impact Awards. The NEIC Initiative funded initiatives and services to support increasing demand from migrant and refugee communities in the NEIC.
• The NEIC initiative supported the expansion of Summerhill Family Practice, funding increased capacity to cater for an additional 1,200 patients through the recruitment of an additional GP, nurse, and secretary.
• Funding provided for dedicated sports and wellbeing, arts and cultural events and programmes.
• A total of 56 applications for Community Grants were approved for funding totalling €104,000 

ENDS