Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2004
231 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on Irish emigrant welfare; the extent to which the Government has been enabled to assist emigrant groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20019/04]
View answerThe Government has been providing assistance to Irish emigrants abroad for many years. It has also demonstrated its commitment to protecting and supporting those abroad by establishing the task force on policy regarding emigrants in December 2001. The purpose of the task force was to address the special needs of those Irish emigrants abroad who are particularly marginalised or at greatest risk of exclusion and, to develop a coherent, long-term approach to our emigrants and their needs.
The DION fund for Irish emigrants in Britain was set up by the Government in 1984 in response to concerns about their situation. In line with the recommendations of the task force report on emigrants, responsibility for the DION fund was transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 5 February 2003. The DION fund is administered by the Irish Embassy in London through the DION committee.
The total amount allocated in grants by the DION committee since 1984 is now almost €18 million. The DION fund has increased from €762,000 in 1997 to €3,570,000 this year. Included in the allocation to DION this year is funding for a project by the Federation of Irish Societies for a five year capacity building project to enable it to expand and develop the range of services on offer to its member organisations, to better identity the needs of elderly and vulnerable Irish people in Britain and to improve the services provided to these people.
Since the early 1990s, the Department of Foreign Affairs has been providing grants to voluntary organisations providing welfare assistance to Irish emigrants in the United States. The purpose is to assist groups responding to the needs — particularly acute at that time — of undocumented Irish people in the US. Although that particular problem was resolved to some extent by the Donnelly and Morrison visa schemes, there are still a significant number of Irish people in this situation. There is, also, a continuing need for immigrant welfare advice, employment referral, social services entitlements, access to further education, acquisition of US citizenship and so on, mainly to recently-arrived young Irish immigrants. With the tightening of US immigration controls following 11 September 2001, the need for such services is growing.
Since 1996, small annual grants are being given to three immigrant welfare organisations in Australia. The purpose is to assist organisations providing emigrant services to elderly and young Irish emigrants. The total allocation for emigrant services in the Vote for Foreign Affairs this year is €4 million. This represents an increase of €1 million or one third over 2003. I have decided that €3.57 million will be allocated to the DION fund for services to Irish emigrants in the UK, €400,000 will be allocated to Irish welfare agencies in the US, €48,000 will go to agencies in Australia. I have also made provision for grants to ÉAN, the umbrella body for voluntary agencies in Ireland providing services to emigrants and to the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas.
In the near future, a dedicated unit will be set up in my Department with the objective of ensuring that the Government's response to the particular needs of our vulnerable emigrants is focused and prioritised to the greatest degree possible. It will help co-ordinate the provision of services to the Irish abroad and will work intensively with the Departments and voluntary agencies concerned to carry forward the implementation of the task force's report. I will be making a further announcement on the establishment of this dedicated unit very shortly. I hope to be in a position to allocate further funds to emigrant services later this year from savings within the Vote for the Department of Foreign Affairs.
