Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 Dec 1991

Vol. 414 No. 4

Adjournment Debate. - Plight of Irish Emigrants in Britain.

Mr. G. O'Sullivan

Emigration has been with us for generations and the economic situation which has prevailed here has built into it an acceptance that emigration is inevitable. Our budgetary policy takes into consideration the approximate number of our young people who are forced to seek work abroad. It is ironic that in many cases the educational qualifications of our young people benefit Britain and the US.

It appears that once we educate these young people our responsibility ends. But I put it to the House that we have taken the easy way out. We have not provided the jobs for them and in some cases we have actively encouraged them to go. At home we have failed to give to them what they are entitled to, to live, work, rear their families and grow old in their native land.

Our emigrants are citizens of this country and as such we have a responsibility to them. That responsibility does not stop at the airport or seaport.

The present state of the British economy has now made the plight of our people abroad much more difficult and the report of the Irish Support and Advice Centre in Hammersmith spells out very clearly the problems our people faced particularly in London this year. The report states that many of our people in west London who are in serious circumstances are women, single parents and travellers.

In this borough alone 20 per cent of the families placed in emergency accommodation are Irish and coming up to Christmas their position got worse. Irish support groups are now strained trying to alleviate the hardship they are experiencing.

The Departments of Finance, Social Welfare, Environment and Labour have a duty to try to get to grips with this massive problem. I am calling on the Minister to channel some emergency funding from these Departments to the recognised Irish aid groups to ease the severe hardship our people will suffer during the Chrismas period.

It is apparent from the various reports from Britain that the Irish in Britain are being discriminated against. It is disgraceful that we have to depend on the various charities in England to give them the bare necessities of life. We have reneged on our responsibilities to our people. The sooner the Government acknowledge this and act accordingly the better for everyone. It is obvious that the Irish agencies are not getting sufficient funding to look after those who have fallen on hard times. I appeal to the Government to immediately make funding available to the Irish centres throughout Britain who are doing a magnificant job in looking after Irish people.

Those emigrants saved this country countless millions of pounds in social welfare benefits alone by emigrating. I ask that some small portion of that money be channelled to the groups in Britain I have spoken about during the Christmas period. Things are so bad in Britain that people are squatting in buildings in London, Birmingham, Sheffield and other major centres of population. Irish agencies should be given extra funding this year to alleviate that hardship.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Mr. Flood)

First, I apologise for the unavoidable absence of my colleague, the Minister for Labour, Deputy O'Kennedy, who is abroad on Government business.

I understand that the Deputy's concerns have been prompted by the report of the Irish Support and Advice Centre, Hammersmith.

In that connection I should like to say that, on the recommendation of DÍON, the London-based Advisory Committee on Emigrant Services, the State grant for the Hammersmith Centre has been increased every year from £4,750 in 1983 to £48,000 this year. The provision of £500,000 in the Department's Vote for 1991 has already been expended on grants to 32 organisations, including the Hammersmith Centre.

I have seen the centre's last report and noted its comments on the position of emigrants. I understand that a new director, Ms. Susan Cosgrove, has recently replaced the Rev. Jim Kiely at the centre and that DÍON will be meeting with his replacement shortly.

I should explain that, through its regular contracts with all the emigrant welfare organisations, DÍON are very conscious of, and sensitive to, the changing needs and problems affecting our emigrants. As a result, their priorities and criteria for grant-assistance are reviewed annually and all the emigrant welfare agencies are kept fully informed of any changes contemplated in grant conditions. DÍON also keeps the Department abreast of developments affecting the general welfare of emigrants.

As regards Government aid for voluntary organisation the Deputy will be aware that the allocation in the Department's Vote for grant assistance was doubled in 1989 from £250,000 to £500,000, in response to the rise in net emigration to around 46,000.

Despite the increasing pressure on the Exchequer in the meantime the Government, as an earnest of their concern, have consistantly maintained the same level of funding since then, even though net emigration had dwindled to 1,000 in the year up to April 1991.

Despite the dramatic decline in emigration some emigrants still encounter difficulties and DÍON grants are intended to tackle these problems.

Towards that end, DÍON are concentrating on developing and improving support services through grant-aiding the employment of professionally-qualified workers operating front-line information, advisory and welfare services; initiatives and ventures forgoing closer links between the voluntary emigrant services and local and statutory authorities which are responsible for the provision of housing and accommodation to meet local needs and the development of information projects and surveys for detecting and identifying the changing needs of emigrants or the specific needs of particularly disadvantaged groups.

In this way, DÍON aim to secure maximum co-operation and also to extract the maximum benefits.

I am fully satisfied that, with these arrangements, DÍON keep themselves appraised of the situation and are able to monitor and assess the changing needs of emigrants and to ensure that grant-aided facilities respond accordingly.

DÍON take the view that the provision of housing and hostel accommodation is the responsibility of local authorities. For that reason, they do not recommend grants for capital expenditure. This view has been accepted by successive Ministers for Labour, particularly since the funding involved would be prohibitive.

Unfortunately, the dramatic decline in emigration does not mean that emigrant's problems have disappeared. I am satisfied that, in the prevailing circumstances, the level of funding provided by the Government this year should go a long way to meet the most pressing needs and most urgent cases.

I assure the Deputy, and the House, that the Minister is keeping in constant touch with the situation through contacts with DÍON, the Federation of Irish Societies and other organisations representing emigrants' interests, all of whom do excellent work. If, at any stage, it appears that a serious deterioration has occurred in the situation the Ministers will not hesitate to review the funding arrangements, in consultation with DÍON.