Jim Higgins
Ceist:12 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Labour if a request has been received from DÍON for an extension of their remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - DÍON Remit.
DÍON, the advisory committee on emigrant welfare services, which is chaired by the Labour Attache at the Irish Embassy in London and whose membership is almost entirely British-based, advises me on matters affecting the welfare of Irish emigrants to Britain.
Up to now DÍON have concentrated on developing and improving the services provided by voluntary organisations for Irish emigrants in Britain, mainly through (i) provision of assistance to non-statutory bodies, operating front-line emergency services for Irish emigrants, for the employment of professional workers; (ii) initiatives and ventures for developing closer links between voluntary bodies and local and statutory authorities with responsibility for community welfare, especially homeless people, and the provision of accommodation to meet local needs; and (iii) information projects and surveys for identifying the specific needs of particularly disadvantaged categories of emigrants.
In recent years, DÍON have emphasised their concern to concentrate on improving the effectiveness of voluntary organisations in Britain. Towards that end they have identified and published their priority objectives for grant-aid purposes.
I understand that DÍON consider their remit to be sufficiently broad and flexible to enable them to address the priority needs of emigrant welfare bodies in the United Kingdom effectively and efficiently on the basis of the level of State funding made available for that purpose. As the question of extending their remit has not arisen I see no need to alter their terms of reference as of now.
Will the Minister agree that, apart from the limited remit of DÍON, the amount of finance available to them to discharge their duties is hopelessly inadequate in the context of the problem? I accept that the amount of money made available last year was double the allocation for the previous year. When one considers that £500,000 is being allocated for advice centres only and that little if anything is provided for hostel accommodation, safe start centres or overnight accommodation, one will realise the need to increase the amount of money available to DÍON and to extend their remit to include the provision of basic accommodation to give people a safe start in what is essentially an alien environment.
I am pleased that the Deputy has acknowledged that the allocation has been increased. It has risen from £130,000 to £500,000 over three years. That money is for grants to social workers and voluntary workers in front line services to help Irish emigrants with advice. DÍON, and more importantly the local community organisations based in the UK, do not want to see the Irish Government involved in capital grant projects. One group that I am aware of have requested money of a capital nature but the others want to use our money to provide a welfare system. A number of local authorities fund the capital aspects of local projects. If we got involved in the capital funding of such projects we would be giving local authorities a reason not to fund those projects. I have been asked on a number of occasions not to go down that road. I have no doubt that if I had more than £500,000 available to me many organisations would be applying for funds. I am not saying that £500,000 will be the end of the funding but it was as much as we could get in the budget. It would be a mistake for the Irish Government to fund capital needs in hostels.
It is acknowledged that one of the problems facing Irish emigrants is their lack of skill and training. A vast number of them go before they sit their leaving certificate examination and without any skill or training. Will the Minister accept that the remit of DÍON should be broadened to include a joint pilot project between FÁS and their counterparts in the UK, the youth training service, to introduce a youth training scheme? Young Irish people who are unable to get into the job market in the UK because of a lack of a skill could avail of such a project.
I am not sure how that could be done but I will investigate the suggestion. I should like to tell the Deputy that FÁS co-operate with their counterparts in the UK on many schemes particularly in the inner city areas of London and Manchester. I will discuss the matter with DÍON.