asked the Minister for Labour if he intends to extend the role of DÍON to bodies working outside England, for example the United States and Australia.
21.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Emigrant Advisory Services.
8.
asked the Minister for Labour if he will extend the remit of DÍON to allocate resources to bodies/organisations working outside Britain, for example, the United States, Germany or Ireland.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 21 together.
DÍON, the advisory committee on emigrant welfare, was established in 1984. One of their functions is to make recommendations on the application of State assistance towards the employment of professional staff by voluntary organisations dealing with the welfare problems of Irish emigrants. All but one of the members of DÍON, which include two representatives of the Federation of Irish Societies, are based in Britain.
When DÍON were established it was represented that most of the welfare problems associated with emigrants were concentrated in the United Kingdom, particularly in the London area. Since then, the bulk of grants have been paid to voluntary organisations in Britain, on the recommendation of DÍON.
Because of its proximity, ease of access, low passenger fares and absence of administrative controls, Britain continues to be the main destination for Irish people seeking work abroad. Unfortunately, a proportion of those going there fail to make adequate advance preparations and some of them get into difficulties. Most of the voluntary bodies which provide reception and emergency services for emigrants have reported a significant increase in the number of inquiries, requests for help and demands for the services in the past few years and, on that basis, have sought larger grants.
Despite cuts in most other areas of State expenditure, the Government have maintained the 1988 allocation for emigrant advisory services at its 1987 level of £250,000.
Given limited budgets, grants to voluntary bodies outside the United Kingdom could be made only at the expense of the amount available to British-based groups and at the risk of obliging such groups to curtail or abandon some of the badly needed services which they help to provide.
In reply to a question on 16 February it was stated that over 400 queries are received on a weekly basis in our consulates in New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco on matters such as welfare, health care and social security. Surely this shows a need for an extension of the service to the US? Besides, the Taoiseach on his recent visit to America promised that he would aid such a service by the IIRM. Will the Minister of State comment on that promise?
The Taoiseach outlined a number of extensions in the services in the US when he met a number of groups. The DÍON Committee for which I have responsibility are only concerned with hardship and homelessness problems in Britain. The problems the Deputy refers to do not fall within my remit.
Surely the Minister will admit that similar problems prevail in the UK and the US and in some cases they are more serious in the US? Because of the seriousness of the problem in the US can consideration be given to extending the role of DÍON in 1989?
The problems in the US are different in that far more of them relate to the legal status of emigrants to the US. From the reports I have read problems in the UK are different. The Deputy's question is really a question for the Department of Foreign Affairs. DÍON are primarily working in Britain and they have no function outside of Britain to date.