Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:19 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Labour if he will make a special grant available to Irish groups who are providing hostel accommodation for young Irish emigrants for the provision of furniture and other facilities.
Written Answers. - Emigrant Welfare Services Grant.
The amount allocated to my Department for grant assistance towards emigrant welfare services was doubled from £250,000 in 1988 to £500,000 in 1989 and has been maintained at that level for 1990 despite the critical Exchequer situation. Grants from that allocation for voluntary organisations which provide welfare services for Irish emigrants to Britain are made on the advice of DÍON, the London based committee which advise me on emigrant welfare matters generally.
There are no funds at my disposal, other than the DÍON allocation, for the making of such grants. Applications for grant assistance far exceed the amount available to me.
As I intimated in a reply to a similar question by the Deputy on 20 February 1990, DÍON are not in favour of providing grants for projects involving a capital element. This has been clearly stated in its guidelines for grant applications. Indeed, I understand that many voluntary emigrant welfare groups also take the view that funding of capital costs of hostel accommodation should, properly, be the responsibility of the relevant local authority, they share DÍON's view that the response of the Irish Government to the problem of homelessness among Irish emigrants should not have the effect of relieving local statutory bodies in Britain of their responsibilities towards the accommodation needs of homeless people in their area. Accordingly the DÍON Committee have sought to encourage the proper co-ordination of activity between the statutory bodies and Irish community based organisations.
For these reasons I am not in a position to make a special grant available as proposed by the Deputy. I would also be reluctant to interfere with DÍON's function to determine their priorities and guidelines for grant purposes.