Brendan Smith
Ceist:175 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his proposals to increase funding for Irish emigrant support groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19676/01]
Written Answers. - Immigrant Support Groups.
Funding is made available from the Foreign Affairs Vote to support voluntary Irish organisations in the United States and Australia which provide much needed information and advice and cater to the welfare of Irish emigrants there. Financial support for voluntary Irish organisations in Britain to enable them to employ professional social workers providing advisory and welfare services for Irish emigrants there is made available through the London based Díon Committee from the Enterprise, Trade and Employment Vote.
The amount made available for grants to 12 organisations in the United States was $300,000 or £268,000 in 1999 and 2000. This compares with $253,300 or £176,400 in 1998. The amounts granted to Irish welfare organisations in Australia in 2000 were £25,400 while those in Britain received £1,015,000 from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The funding for these groups is kept under constant review.
Brendan Smith
Ceist:176 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department, through its embassies, will assist with the efforts by some local authorities and voluntary organisations to provide housing at home for emigrants who are living in difficult circumstances abroad, particularly in Britain and the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19677/01]
Our embassies and consulates are willing to assist efforts by local authorities and voluntary organisations to provide housing for some emigrants returning to live in Ireland. However, the management and financing of such schemes essentially are matters for the local authorities and organisations themselves.
The allocation of local authority housing is a matter for individual local authorities which prioritise the needs of applicants according to a number of criteria. All local authorities currently require that applicants for housing should be living in the relevant local authority functional area at the time of their applications.
The Díon Committee, which is chaired by an officer of the Embassy in London, is giving grants of £40,000 each this year, out of funds provided in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Vote, to two voluntary organisations, one based in County Mayo and the other in London, involved in the repatriation from Britain and housing in Ireland of elderly Irish emigrants.