Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 January 2018
1. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions that have been taken by his Department to support Irish emigrants who wish to return here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3696/18]
View answerEstimates by the Central Statistics Office, CSO, suggest that between April 2016 and April 2017, more than 27,000 Irish emigrants have returned to Ireland. That is very welcome news. However, many are encountering severe difficulties and hurdles when they return, in particular with their dealings with financial institutions. What specific actions are being taken by the Tánaiste and his Department to support Irish emigrants who wish to return to Ireland and will he outline what progress is being made?
I thank Deputy Darragh O'Brien for his question. This is essentially responding to a good news story to make sure that when people come home, they make the transition in as positive a way as possible. The Government is committed to working to facilitate Irish people living abroad who wish to return to live and work in Ireland. We are working to ensure that moving or returning to Ireland is as easy as possible for them. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through the emigrant support programme, provides significant funding and support to organisations, including the Crosscare Migrant Project and Safe Home Ireland, which work with citizens who wish to return to Ireland. Over the past decade, more than €4 million has been allocated to Irish-based organisations working with returning emigrants and funding for these organisations this year is in line with recent years.
The Minister of State with responsibility for the diaspora, Deputy Cannon, chairs the interdepartmental committee, IDC, on the Irish abroad, which works to ensure that the Government works in a joined-up way to realise the objectives of Ireland's diaspora policy. That includes addressing issues affecting the Irish abroad and those seeking to return. The role of the Minister of State as chair of the IDC is to raise areas of concern to Irish people abroad with Departments with responsibility for those areas. Work is continuing in a number of Departments to address practical issues that have been raised by the interdepartmental committee. To build on the work of the committee in addressing such barriers, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has commissioned an economic report on barriers to return. The report will be completed in the coming weeks and will inform Government policy and actions on difficulties it finds.
In addition to addressing potential barriers, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is always looking for new and innovative ways to assist Irish people abroad and those returning. To support returning emigrants in a practical way, the Department has established Back for Business, a mentoring programme for returning emigrants to help them set up business in Ireland and contribute fully to local communities and economies across the country. This pilot programme is currently under way and will be reviewed on completion. I know there are some other practical issues regarding driving licences, for example, and we are seeking to come up with solutions to address those issues.
I hope the Minister does not mind me saying that the response is pretty vague. It really misses the fundamental point I am trying to make. The vast majority of the 27,400 people who returned have serious difficulties getting car insurance, for example. They are rated on the basis that their previous driving experience in places such as Canada is not taken into account and their previous driving record in Ireland, including no-claims bonus, is all set aside. I am asking the Minister about practical steps being taken by the Department, for example, whether it has met with Insurance Ireland to ask why premia are being loaded for returning emigrants.
Second, most returning emigrants are now told there is a postponement period of 12 months within which they will get no health cover after they return to this country and most of them cannot transfer their health cover to Ireland. Practical measures are required such as talking to companies such as the VHI.
I put it to the Minister that he needs to meet the Irish Banking Federation because people applying for a mortgage are now asked by Bank of Ireland, for example, to provide a P60 for the previous year's earnings. Banks will not accept foreign revenue documents from returned emigrants who were in Canada, the United States or other countries. Those are practical measures that could be taken.
I do not disagree. There is a whole series of examples of areas where we need to provide a more seamless transition than is currently available for people who are coming home. That is why we have commissioned an economic report on which we are spending approximately €75,000. It will be ready in the coming weeks. The report will itemise the kind of things on which Deputy Darragh O'Brien has provided examples and anecdotal evidence in terms of issues on which intervention is required. My Department, and the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, in particular, will play a co-ordinating role between Departments to ensure we can make intervention where appropriate in various sectors and areas.
I will be happy to report the progress on that when we get that economic report back.
I thank the Minister for that. There are practical measures available. I am aware of the report on challenges faced by returning Irish emigrants. The economic report the Minister has mentioned will be published in the next few weeks. I am asking for a commitment that the matter will be debated here in the House. I will explain why. Significant numbers are returning and that is great and fantastic. I have travelled to a number of our embassies, though not as many as has the Minister in his role. They are meeting people who are inquiring about what happens when one comes back to Ireland. How does one get a mortgage? What is the situation concerning insurance premiums? They are concerned with all of these things.
There are practical measures open to the Government. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, could meet the Irish Banking Federation and ask why its members insist on these terms for people who have earnings records in other countries or why they insist on P60s. The Government could ask Insurance Ireland why its members set aside previous driving records in Ireland and do not take into account driving or claims records in England, Europe, Canada or the United States. It makes no sense. Some of these industries are simply gouging returning Irish emigrants because they know they can make money off their backs. We need to fix it and measures can be taken.
I welcome the response and the commitment via the report. I ask the Minister to give a commitment that, if it is not discussed in plenary session in the Dáil, he will bring the report to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence, so that we can agree the measures that need to be taken urgently.
I have no problem with doing that. It is just a question of scheduling the time to do it. On emigration, I think there is pretty much cross-party support for trying to encourage people to come home. There are job opportunities for them here across multiple sectors, which is a really good thing. The population in Ireland is growing by about 50,000 a year. Probably close to half of that is accounted for by Irish people coming home. We want the message to be sent right across the world that we want those who wish to come home and contribute to a growing Irish economy to do so. That is a big talent pool. I would be happy to bring forward the report once we have it. Either the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, or I could do so. Actually, it might be better to do this in committee. I would be happy to do it here-----
-----but we will end up having statements. If we discussed it in committee we could have a proper back-and-forth and get into the detail of some of the recommendations. I think that would be useful.
