asked the Minister for External Affairs if in view of the special problems of emigrant welfare in the two largest centres of population in Great Britain, London and Birmingham, he will now consider making financial assistance available to the Irish Centre at Camden, London and to the Irish Information Centre at Birmingham.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Emigrant Welfare Centres.
1.
I have nothing to add to the replies I have given to many similar Dáil questions and in the debates on the Estimates for the Department of External Affairs.
Is the Minister aware of the special circumstances of these two centres, of the tremendous work they do on a voluntary basis on a very slim budget and would he not consider making assistance available to them?
I am well aware of the valuable work they are doing. The other part of the Deputy's supplementary question has been answered very many times already.
Is it a fact that the authorities in the Irish Centre in Camden Town were informed last year that the Minister for Finance had, in the special circumstances, considered making funds available to them and can the Minister now say if special consideration will be given to the unusual circumstances surrounding this centre which is in urgent need of assistance from the Government because of the volume of work there and their expenditure, for which they are depending on voluntary effort? Surely the Minister realises that—
We cannot have a debate on this question.
——a special case can be made for this centre and will he undertake to provide some assistance?
I have already answered that question many times.
Yes, but despite the fact——
We cannot have a debate on this question.
I do not want to have a debate; I merely want to elicit information. Having regard to the fact that they were told that moneys would be available last year, and which did not materialise, would the Minister now give an assurance that money will be forthcoming?
They were not told——
Does the Minister not think it is desirable that some money should be made available?
The question is from whom the money is to come for that purpose and how it will be spent. The Government and the Minister for Finance gave me authority to take back from Britain people who were in need of care and protection and we have taken them back during the past couple of years. This has relieved a lot of the burden on some of the Irish organisations over there. The wider question as to whether these people can be helped in their work by further voluntary subscriptions is still open but here we have difficulty raising money which is required to create the necessary development to keep our people at home and to the extent we spend money abroad on other matters it reduces our ability to develop our resources in order to give employment at home.
I am calling Question No. 2.
Arising from the Minister's——
We have gone away from Question No. 1.