Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 March 2010
309 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the British Prime Minister’s apology for the child migrants programme, which sent 15,000 children between the ages of three to 14 years to Commonwealth countries where many of them were abused and forced into slave labour; if he has information on the number of these children born here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10317/10]
View answerOn 24 February, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, delivered a statement in the House of Commons in which he apologised for the support given by successive British Governments for child migration schemes under which children aged between three and fourteen were sent to Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. The schemes ceased operating in the 1960s. Prime Minister Brown described the schemes as misguided and announced the establishment of a Family Restoration Fund of £6 million. The statement followed a similar public apology made in November 2009 by the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, for the manner in which the children were treated when they arrived in Australia.
These statements represent a very significant acknowledgement of the suffering experienced by child migrants. The British post World War II scheme of child migration was not supported by the Irish Government of the day and there was no involvement in the scheme by the Irish authorities. While the number of Irish born children is not thought to be large, it is widely accepted that a significant number of the deported children may have been born to Irish mothers.
Following Prime Minister Brown's apology, our Embassy in London approached the British authorities to seek information on the number of Irish born child migrants but were advised that such official figures are not available. However, our contacts have undertaken to revert once they have consulted further with the British Department of Health.
Our Embassy in Australia has had contact with a number of individual child migrants who were either born in Ireland or trace their background to Ireland. The Embassy will continue to maintain contact with the Irish child migrants in Australia and to provide support and assistance where possible.
The Government, through the Emigrant Support Programme, supports Irish community organisations in each of the countries to which child migrants were sent; including for the provision of welfare assistance and outreach to elderly Irish emigrants.
