asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish citizens who live in the United Kingdom; and the number of persons who have gone to live and work there permanently from 1st January, 1973, to 1st January, 1975.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Emigration to UK.
40.
(Cavan): The 1971 British census showed that there were 955,000 people born in Ireland resident in Great Britain. That census also showed that 2,005,000 persons living in Great Britain had either one or both parents born in the Twenty-six Counties.
Passenger movement figures between Ireland and Britain suggest that in recent years net migration to Britain has been negligible although, of course, there is a considerable movement of people to and from employment there which appears to have roughly balanced out during this period.
41.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the assistance available to emigrants to the United Kingdom; and the amount of financial aid granted annually to reception centres for them.
(Cavan): My Department operate a scheme for the repatriation from Great Britain to Ireland of Irish citizens who are regarded as being in need of repatriation assistance. Expenditure under this scheme amounts to about £1,000 a year.
The Vote for the Department of Labour includes a provision for the allocation of grants towards the improvement of information and advisory services for intending emigrants and for Irish nationals abroad anxious to return to work in Ireland. The amount of the provision in 1975 is £7,000.
Under Irish social security legislation and EEC regulations the Department of Social Welfare pays cash benefits to beneficiaries in other EEC countries. The amount currently being paid to such beneficiaries in the United Kingdom, most of whom are Irish emigrants, is estimated at £30,000 per week.
The Embassy in London generally concerns itself with the welfare of Irish emigrants in the United Kingdom and two officers of the Embassy are involved virtually full time on this work. The annual cost of maintaining these two officers in the Embassy is approximately £12,000.
No direct aid is granted to reception centres in Britain for emigrants. Many of these centres arrange for the repatriation of emigrants who are regarded as in need of such assistance and the expenditure involved in arranging for the return home of these emigrants is refunded to the centres by the Embassy in London.
Is the Minister aware of the existence in London of a centre called Hope House and can the Minister state why the Department of Foreign Affairs or the Department of Labour or the Department of Social Welfare do not assist directly with some form of subvention towards the excellent work that centre is doing? Is he aware of the existence of similar centres spread all over the United Kingdom? Can he explain why direct financial assistance and the assistance of Social Welfare personnel is not made available to these particular centres?
(Cavan): As the Deputy knows, this question has been considered by successive Governments and all decided not to provide the direct type of assistance suggested by the Deputy. It is a very complex question and it will continue to receive the full attention of the Government.
I do not accept that providing direct financial assistance to the centres and fully qualified people to assist in the operation of these centres is a complex matter. I am not concerned with what happened in the past but I am concerned with what will happen in the immediate future. I would like the Minister to dismiss any idea from his mind that this is a complex matter. It is a most realistic proposition.
(Cavan): The Deputy is, of course, entitled to change his mind.
I have not changed my mind.
(Cavan): It is a fact that the Government of which he was a member took the view the present Government take, namely, that to pay direct social welfare assistance to people in Britain or send over our social workers there to deal directly with people in Britain is not desirable.
I have never changed my mind or my attitude in relation to this matter. It is now 1975 and the matter is of an urgent nature. It is about time the Government changed their minds and their attitudes. Can the Minister give some indication he will have this matter considered?
(Cavan): I have told the Deputy that this is a complex question which will continue to receive the full attention of the Government. If there is any way in which we can reasonably give further assistance to Irish emigrants in Britain who find themselves in need, that assistance will be given.
If I undertake to give the Minister a rational and reasonable scheme as a solution to the problem, will he accept it and bring it to the attention of his so-called Government?
(Cavan): If the Deputy addresses it to the appropriate Department it will, I am sure, be considered.
I am sure it will get lost.
42.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of emigrant reception centres operating in the United Kingdom, their locations and their management structures.
(Cavan): I am aware of 12 Irish emigrant advice and information centres operating in Britain. Eight of these are in London, two in Birmingham, and one each in Liverpool and Oxford.
There are, of course, numerous other centres in Britain which offer services to Irish emigrants and to any others who call on them. Irish county associations and religious organisations provide reception, information and welfare services in places like Birmingham, Manchester, Portsmouth, Coventry, Luton and Leeds.
The management structures of some of these centres are known to me but because they are administered by private voluntary organisations it would not be proper for me to comment on them.
Forgive me. I do not want in any way to bedevil the issue, but why would it not be proper for the Minister to comment? The Minister is answering for his colleague. Are these organisations good or bad?
I am calling Question No. 43.
I do not think you are being fair to me.
(Cavan): The fact of the matter is there are a number of these centres in England, all of which are under either private or voluntary management, and I am not prepared to compare one with the other or comment on one and not on another. To do so would not be proper.