I am aware of the Luton Irish Forum and the valuable work it does in providing advice, information and support services to Irish people in the Luton area. Officials of the embassy in London and the Irish abroad unit met with the management of Luton Irish Forum in January this year and an official of the embassy attended its St. Patrick's Day festivities.
I know that the Luton Irish Forum has developed a very good relationship with the Luton Borough Council. It has, for instance, been successful in accessing a number of local statutory grant streams, itself a positive reflection of the quality of services it provides.
The forum is currently located within a building that is owned by the borough council and that is, unfortunately, due to be closed. The embassy has raised this issue with the leader of the borough council and other local representatives. I understand that the current position is that the forum's management is in ongoing consultations with the council regarding various possibilities for relocation on both a temporary and permanent basis. In these consultations, it is supported by a community development worker from the Federation of Irish Societies, a post which is supported financially by the Government through the DION fund.
The Government supports the forum directly through the funding of its key advice worker post. I understand that the forum has made an application under the current round of DION funding and this will be considered carefully. The embassy will remain in close contact with the Luton Irish Forum with a view to being helpful in every way possible.
