Vol. 448 No. 7
84 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he will provide grant assistance to Emigrant Advice which provides pre-emigration services to many of our citizens and which currently gets no State assistance whatever. [2848/95]
For a number of years to 1992 Emigrant Advice, Dublin, did receive grant assistance through DÍON — the London based advisory committee to the Government on the Irish community in Britain. That assistance was given to Emigrant Advice as an exceptional measure. The DÍON grants are intended to give financial assistance towards the employment of professional workers dealing with the welfare problems of Irish workers in Britain.
In 1992 the then Minister accepted the recommendation of the DÍON committee that the moneys available should be confined to the voluntary agencies in Britain. I propose to continue this policy. Therefore, I will not be providing further grant aid to voluntary agencies operating in Ireland.
My Department's view is that FÁS, through its national network of offices, is in the best position to provide preemigration advice and to outline the options which are available. My Department has issued guidelines to FÁS concerning the operation of these services. The emphasis of these guidelines is to discourage unplanned and unprepared emigration.
