Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2015
525. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the expenditure he has allocated for diaspora supports in 2016; how it will be distributed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46177/15]
View answerThe Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Emigrant Support Programme (ESP), provides funding to non-profit organisations and projects to support Irish communities overseas and to facilitate the development of more strategic links between Ireland and the global Irish.
Over €135m has been provided to organisations dealing with Irish emigrants since the establishment of the Emigrant Support Programme in 2004.
A total of €11.6 million has been allocated to the Emigrant Support Programme, in the Department of Foreign Affairs for 2016. It is anticipated that the grant round will open early in 2016 with decisions on funding for 2016 taken by July next year (the ESP funding year runs from July – June). Additional funding of €1 million has been allocated to the Department of the Taoiseach for diaspora related expenditure in 2016.
Details of all organisations who have previously received funding under the Emigrant Support Programme are available on my Department’s website at https://www.dfa.ie/our-role-policies/the-irish-abroad/emigrant-support-programme/.
