Vol. 529 No. 1
223 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the contents of a report (details supplied) which was critical of the efforts of the interdepartmental committee on emigration which is chaired by his Department; and his views on this assessment. [1013/01]
227 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the progress made to date with the establishment of a Government task force on emigration; if the members and officers of the task force have been appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1017/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 227 together.
A 1999 report for the Catholic Bishops' Commission for Emigrants about the planning of services for Irish emigrants drew attention to what they regarded as shortcomings in Government policy making in this area. The commission commented that the interdepartmental committee on emigration has interpreted its terms of reference in a minimalist way. My Department and the Government accept that there is a good case for a pro-active approach to address the ongoing needs of Irish emigrants, particularly the elderly who have been abroad for a long period and those young people who still propose to emigrate.
In the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness the Government is committed to establish a task force to develop a coherent long-term approach to our emigrants and their needs. I am in the process of selecting members of the task force and setting terms of reference. Proposals will be put to Government in the coming weeks.
