Vol. 385 No. 6
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has received a request for funding and continued diplomatic support from the Irish Immigration Reform Movement in the United States; if the Government intends to respond to this appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
33.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the funding made available to the Irish Immigration Reform Movement, in accordance with the commitments he gave to the movement in August and September 1987 and in September 1988; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
36.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will allocate from national lottery funds at his disposal £100,000 to assist the establishment of an Irish Immigrant Advice Centre in the United States.
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 10, 33 and 36 together.
I have already outlined to the Dáil the steps taken by the Government to develop emigrant advisory services in the United States. These include the establishment of immigration working committees in New York, Boston, San Francisco and Chicago; the appointment of an immigrants liaison officer in New York; the publication of "Guides for New Emigrants" in the main cities; and improved liaison with city and Church authorities. In addition our five offices in the United States — the embassy and the four consulates — work closely with emigrant organisations and provide assistance and advice directly to our citizens. I believe that as a result of these efforts we now have a network of services for our people in the United States that is responsive to their needs.
In so far as voluntary organisations are concerned, the Government is appreciative of the activities of the Irish Immigration Reform Movement and other groups working on behalf of our young people. The IIRM is represented on the immigration working committees which operate under the auspices of our consulates and which both the Taoiseach and myself met on our visits to the United States. We have indicated that any request for official funding including one for the setting up of an Irish immigration advice centre supported by the Immigration Working Committee and backed by detailed proposals and costings will be considered.
Can I take it from the Minister's reply that the request from the Irish Immigration Reform Movement for £100,000 to enable them to establish an emigrant advice centre will be favourably considered?
We will certainly look at the request but we have made very substantial efforts already to ensure that much of their concerns have been met. They are represented on the various committees which work with the embassies and consulates in the cities in the United States. I might say that all of this effort stems from our work as a Government during the past 18 months.
Without getting into an argument or damaging the positive response which I seem to be getting from the Minister, would he bear in mind two things: first, every major ethnic group in the United States has an emigrant advice centre and it seems very much out of order that we do not have one, particularly in the light of the increasing number of Irish emigrants there during the past number of years and, secondly, that the city of New York has allocated $30,000 for the support of such a centre and that the very least we can do——
The Deputy is imparting information rather than seeking it.
——is to confirm as soon as possible that the necessary funding will be made available.
We are doing tremendous work in supplementing the work already done there. If we take New York city as an example, the Church has a tremendous network there and the personnel in that area have been supplemented by further personnel from the hierarchy in Maynooth. Our embassy is the hub of the system and a special officer and staff in the embassy co-ordinate all of this work. Setting up in a centre or a building in a city like New York is not really the answer to this problem. As the Deputy knows, it is a question of co-ordinating the work of the various parishes, trade unions and voluntary organisations throughout the city. As the Deputy is well aware, New York is really an amalgam of four or five cities and it is a question of co-ordinating what is there setting up a structure, supplying personnel and help through that committee rather than setting up a building in New York city.
Of course, this would involve a phone network which would cover the entire of the United States.
If they submit their proposals to us we will have a look at them. If the Irish Immigration Reform Movement want to have a specific centre, then let us hear from them.
Deputy De Rossa.
Is the Minister suggesting that he has not heard from them already?
Order, please. Deputy De Rossa has been called.
I have often met them. I have met them three or four times.
And they never raised this issue?
The Chair should be obeyed by both sides of the House.
They are quite happy to function on the existing committees in New York, Washington, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco. They are functioning very adequately.
That is not the information available to me.
I have debated with them the issue raised by the Deputy and they largely agree with what I have said — let us give this network a chance rather than spend and waste money in setting up a centre. A building is not the answer to this problem.
Deputy De Rossa.
I spoke with the chairman of the movement ten days ago and what he had to say was different from what the Minister has said.
I would have to disagree with the Deputy.
Order, please.
Will the Minister confirm that he and other Ministers have met the Irish Immigration Reform Movement and that arising from those meetings the group are convinced they have got a commitment from the Minister and other Ministers as regards finance for the provision of advice centres and hotline facilities in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco? I and other Members of this House have correspondence dated 17 November 1988 indicating that this is what the group are looking for. Is the Minister now saying he does not think they need money for these services and that he is not going to provide the money for these services?
I met all these groups, including the group to which the Deputy refers, last March 12 months, last summer, last September 12 months, last St. Patrick's Day and as recently as this September. We have established this network for the first time co-ordinating the various groups. They are represented on all the committees and are making a contribution, along with the trade unions, the churches and other voluntary groups. They are not fully representative of all the Irish-Americans involved, nor are they full representative of all the strands in the Irish-American community. We have made money available to our consulates and embassy, each of whom has a specific officer to co-ordinate this activity in regard to immigration working committees, on which this group is represented. They are doing Herculean work.
Would the Minister not agree that there is an enormous contradiction between what he has just stated to the House in terms of the Irish Government assisting Irish aliens to evade the federal laws of the United States and the fact that the Department of Justice here are harassing and terrorising the 5,000 aliens from other states who are trying to earn a living in this country?
The Deputy is injecting new matter into this question.
It is very relevant. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
This question is continuing too long, to the disadvantage of other Deputies who have questions on the Order Paper. I want to have some finality in the matter. A brief question from Deputy De Rossa and Deputy Jim Higgins.
Question No. 10 asks if the Government will provide continuing diplomatic support. Will the Minister indicate what diplomatic support is being given in relation to the arrest of undocumented Irish people in the United States and will he indicate how many such people have been arrested by the immigration authorities there during the past year?
That seems to be a separate matter.
I answered the question about diplomatic support. All of the operations I have been talking about have as their hub the Irish embassy or consulate situated in the particular city. We have financed this ourselves through our Vote. An officer within the embassy or consulate is able to establish this network of contacts and form a working committee. I have addressed these working committees. The Immigration Reform Movement are represented, along with trade unions, churches and other representative bodies. It is already in place.
Deputy Jim Higgins.
I asked a specific question as to how many Irish people have been arrested by the immigration authorities.
I have given the Deputy a fair chance.
That is not in the question, which refers to funding and diplomatic support.
I am asking about diplomatic support in relation to those arrested.
Please let us have some order at Question Time.
Will the Minister not concede that the Irish Immigration Reform Movement are focusing attention on the fact that despite however well-meaning his working committees are they carry an overly officious aura and that from the point of view of the 100,000 illegals who cannot come home this Christmas or for the funeral of a parent for fear of detection, they are not delivering the type of service they need? The Irish Imigration Reform Movement are the people closest——
The Deputy is making a speech rather than asking questions.
The reason I established a co-ordinating committee is precisely the reverse of what Deputy Higgins is saying. There are other Irish-American organisations. I mentioned the churches and the trade unions already. There is also the AOH. The Immigration Reform Movement is representative of just a segment of recent immigrants. I have sat around tables with these people thrashing out these questions for hours on end. I know that if these committees get a chance they will perform some good. I do not claim they will perform everything. They are representative as far as possible of all the various elements in the complex of Irish-American society.
