asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has instructed the embassy in London to provide special counselling and other facilities to the thousands of young people now emigrating to the UK.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Facilities for Emigrants.
2.
In addition to the normal consular services that would be available to citizens in distress, an officer from the Department of Labour is attached to the Irish Embassy in London. He maintains contact with Irish bodies which provide welfare services for emigrants in Britain. In addition to his general contacts he is also chairman of an advisory group (called DÍON).
The group is to advise the Minister for Labour on questions relating to the welfare of Irish emigrants in Britain. The Minister for Labour disposes of a fund to help the Irish welfare groups in their work. In 1984 this fund was increased from IR£38,000 to IR£68,000 and was distributed to eleven welfare bodies as a grant. The amounts are particularly intended to help the groups concerned to provide welfare or counselling services. Nine of the bodies are in Britain. Two are based in Dublin but are directly involved in advising prospective emigrants. I attach considerable importance to this fund and the Government agreed that the amount allocated in 1985 be increased to IR£104,000.
There is also an Irish community liaison officer in the embassy to maintain contact with all Irish organisations in Britain.
Would the Minister of State agree that there is now a new phenomenon in this country which requires a whole new thrust and approach on the part of the Government, that that phenomenon is the thousands of young people, particularly this year, who are departing to England seeking work? Would the Minister agree that that is a new phenomenon which has reached very serious proportions and that the normal counselling services and facilities available to young people in England will not be sufficient, that we have reached a relatively dangerous stage? I have seen in my constituency, in virtually every household, a 17 or 18 year old going over to England. It warrants a whole new thrust on the part of the Government.
I feel the Deputy has overstated the situation. Certainly in my constituency——
The Minister should go and knock on doors.
——that has not been the experience. At the same time I accept that there has been over many years a tradition of emigration to the United Kingdom. This Government have taken steps to increase the amount of funding for the welfare of our emigrants in the United Kingdom. That is evidence of the commitment of this Government in that area.
Does the Minister not agree with me that the situation has worsened considerably in the past year or so, and that this summer it is at a very dangerous level? Is the Minister not agreeing with me in that proposition?
I do not have any official statistics. The only real statistic I have available is that the Government have shown their commitment by increasing the funding sum available as between 1983 and 1985 by 175 per cent.
Practically every second household in the country has someone going over.
Is the Minister aware that people involved in the counselling services in London are deliberately calling on young people in this country not to go to England, not to go to London, at present because of the situation obtaining there, that there are no outlets for them whatsoever by way of employment, that many hundreds of young people who are forced to emigrate from this country — because of lack of employment opportunities here — are finding themselves in the most bizarre situations over there — without money, jobs or anywhere to sleep? Would the Minister not agree with Deputy Brennan when he suggested that a whole new situation exists at present and that a totally new approach must be adopted if we are to deal with the problem that we know exists at present?
It is critical.
I entirely accept that there is an unfavourable situation obtaining in the United Kingdom where the unemployment figures are very high indeed. Despite that, even at a time when there was net immigration into this country, a certain number of Irish people, particularly young people — for different reasons — went to the United Kingdom and continue to go there. I would agree with the Deputy that it is important that anybody who is tempted to go to the United Kingdom should make themselves fully aware of the situation and should not, as it were, go on the blind. That is one of the reasons some of the funding we provide is directed towards two bodies based in Dublin which are available to advise prospective emigrants. Certainly I would say to anybody who is tempted to go to the United Kingdom seeking employment that they should first establish contact with those bodies.
They have no choice.
Would the Minister not agree that the situation to which he referred and which existed a couple of years ago is totally different from the one that obtains now in that we no longer have voluntary emigration. We now have young people in their thousands being forced to seek employment opportunities elsewhere. Can the Minister tell us what information he has available to him or his Department with regard to the numbers of young people who are at present unemployed in London and the other larger cities in the United Kingdom? Would the Minister go further and comment on a figure I have heard publicly from people involved in counselling services, that there are up to 30,000 to 40,000 young Irish boys and girls homeless, jobless and moneyless at present in the United Kingdom?
The position of Irish people, young or old — particularly the young — in the United Kingdom would not be helped by statements which are not supported by evidence. I mentioned that we do not have official statistics. While there are certainly indications of young people going to the United Kingdom our response has been to ensure that, as far as we can, we make available to the welfare bodies funding which, as I mentioned, has been increased in the order of 175 per cent over two years and which shows the commitment of this Government to having this problem properly dealt with.
(Interruptions.)
The Minister seems to know the level of increase and the level of grant in various agencies, but he does not know how many youngsters are involved in that crisis. That is an inexplicable situation.
(Dún Laoghaire): I gave that information already.
Yes, but the Minister does not seem to have it. The Minister knows the increase in the grant but not the number of young people involved.
Order, please.
The Minister will find that there are thousands involved.
Deputy Brennan will have to confine himself to the question.
Will the Minister comment on the views publicly expressed in this House by his colleague, Deputy Kelly, that young people should leave this country and go to England and other places?
(Interruptions.)
Question No. 3, Deputy Séamus Brennan.
They are obviously taking his advice.
Question No. 3.
(Interruptions.)
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 3 and 16 together.
On a point of order, Question No. 16 was listed as a priority question. Is it in order for the Minister or any other Minister to group a priority question with another question on the Order Paper?
It is.
That is part of the new agreement?
If we had passed from the balloted questions to the priority questions leaving a balloted question unanswered the Minister could also take a priority question and a balloted question together, but in that instance the person who had put down the balloted question could not ask a supplementary. But when these two questions are being taken together, both Deputy Brennan who put down the balloted question and Deputy Collins may ask a supplementary question.
While I readily accept whatever agreement has been entered into by the parties——
It is more than an agreement now, it is an order of the House.
It would not have been if the parties had not agreed to it.
That is correct.
Will the Ceann Comhairle then say how he proposes to allocate the supplementary question time?
I will deal with that when I come to it. Questions Nos. 3 and 16 together.