The Government provided in the budget earlier this year for a total allocation of £200,000 for the provision of financial support to groups providing welfare advice and assistance to Irish immigrants newly arrived in the United States. Applications were invited from the groups concerned and those received were examined by the immigration working committees under the aegis of our Consulates General in the US.
During my recent visit to the United State I took the opportunity of my attendance at a meeting of the immigration working committee at New York to announce the allocation of grants under this scheme. The list of the successful applicants with their respective grants is attached.
This is the first time that such an allocation has been made in respect of groups working with our immigrants in the United States and it is evidence of the Government's continuing concern for the welfare of those immigrants. The following is the list: