Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to be here this morning. I thank the Chairman for the invitation to address the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade and to update it on the recent launch of Global Irish: Ireland’s Diaspora Policy, and my plans for its implementation over the next two years. This morning I intend to present some of the key elements of the policy and highlight some of the actions I will implement. Throughout the policy we reiterate our desire for feedback and comment. At the outset I want to stress that I am looking forward to the members' feedback, and I especially hope they will remain interested and involved throughout the implementation process in a meaningful way.

Two key themes emerged from the consultation process we undertook for this policy: representation and communication. Under representation, there were clear demands for the creation of a post of Minister for the diaspora, and in July 2014 this was responded to with my own appointment. There were also demands for voting rights in Irish elections for the Irish overseas.

Regarding presidential elections, the Constitutional Convention, in its fifth report, recommended extending voting rights in presidential elections to citizens outside the State, including those in Northern Ireland. This would certainly be welcomed by the Irish overseas. Since my appointment, I have travelled extensively, and the message from our citizens overseas is consistent. They want to actively express their connection to Ireland and play a more active role in Irish society, and they believe that voting would give meaning to that desired connection. However, it is not straightforward. There are a number of policy, legal and practical issues that have to be thoroughly considered. The Government has asked the Minister, Deputy Kelly, in co-operation with the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, and myself, to analyse these issues and report back to Government, and that is what we will do.

The other key theme which emerged from the consultation process was communication. There were calls for the Government to communicate more, and more effectively, with those who have left Ireland, and to facilitate communication among Irish communities around the world. With modern technology it is more possible than ever to engage with Irish communities globally. People told us they want to feel connected and they want the Government to play an active role in achieving that. The communications technology advances in the past ten years have given us the tools. It is up to us to use them. Since my appointment I have met with some of the technology and social media companies based in Dublin, including Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn and Twitter, and I will meet with Facebook tomorrow to discuss how it can support us in better connecting with our people overseas.

We have also started developing a range of communication tools designed to reach different people in different places with different interests and needs. For example, we have launched an online global Irish portal, which is an easy-to-access source of information on how to remain connected to Ireland through sport, heritage, culture and media. The portal also provides information on the supports available to the Irish overseas, including information on the emigrant support programme, business supports and information about returning home to Ireland, and is available to view on www.dfa.ie/global-irish. We will increase our social media presence, initially through our @Globalirish Twitter account, allowing our Irish abroad to interact with us in a direct and immediate way. Also, we are finalising the details of the new global Irish media fund to support media coverage of diaspora and emigration-related experience.

The policy is also wider than those two broad themes. We want to support the diaspora, connect with the diaspora, facilitate diaspora engagement, recognise the diaspora and continue to evolve the policy to meet changing diaspora needs.

I will now highlight some of the actions under those themes. In 2014, we provided almost €12 million in financial support to over 200 organisations working with emigrants and the diaspora in over 20 countries spread over five continents. Funding is delivered through the emigrant support programme, ESP, which has provided €125 million in grant assistance since its inception in 2004. The new policy confirms that welfare will remain at the heart of the ESP. We will also pay particular attention to vulnerable groups such as aging communities, Travellers, prisoners, the undocumented and those with mental health needs. In budget 2015, funding for the ESP was maintained at €11.5 million, with an additional €1 million for new diaspora projects and initiatives.

I have already outlined some of our communication strategy, which falls under the pillar of connecting with the diaspora, but our links are also strengthened by our language, music, dance, sport, literature and so on. As we are all aware, more than any other aspect of our Irishness, our culture reaches all corners of the world. It is one of the most effective ways of connecting with the global diaspora, strengthening links to home and maintaining expression of Irish identity through generations. St. Patrick’s Day is one focal point, but throughout the year Irish sports and cultural organisations maintain that connection. The Government will continue to support them and provide the necessary infrastructure to facilitate their work.

This year, we will also support our diaspora in commemorating the creation of the Irish State. Many of the 1916 leaders were part of the diaspora at different times in their lives, some having been born abroad and others having lived overseas. We want to remember the role the diaspora played in those events and in the founding of our State. We also want to support initiatives that connect our diaspora more locally to home. While the county associations are not as strong as they were, the connection to place remains. We will support local authorities and local community development committees in seeking to identify initiatives for building these relationships.

To facilitate diaspora engagement, we will work in partnership with various organisations which aim to make lives better for Irish people at home and abroad. These organisations can reach people in ways that we simply cannot - for example, the Emigrant Services Advisory Committee and Irish in Britain in the UK, the GAA worldwide, and the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres in the United States. In June of this year we will convene our first Global Civic Forum to bring these and other organisations together to discuss the challenges facing the Irish abroad and to capture the voice of ordinary Irish emigrants. This year, 2015, will also see the fourth Global Irish Economic Forum, which will bring together members of the Global Irish Network. The network has played a significant role in contributing to Ireland’s economic recovery and in rebuilding our economic reputation. We will ensure that the 2015 forum will have better gender balance and greater participation from younger people.

The Government will also continue to support Irish business networks around the world. These networks vary in reach and composition but they all help Irish business people and professionals to connect with each other, seek out new opportunities and, ultimately, advance themselves and their businesses, and we will continue to facilitate that success. For example, we support the Irish International Business Network, IIBN, in delivering the Irish Executive Mentoring Programme, an online mentorship tool that matches experienced mentors with up-and-coming entrepreneurs and business executives among the diaspora. Just last week I was delighted to host IIBN in Iveagh House, and the success stories were inspiring. We had real evidence, in the form of contracts won, proving the value of our support for networks such as IIBN, which are fostering the next generation of Irish business people overseas.

There are already some initiatives in place that recognise the diaspora. The Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad was initiated by the Government in 2012. It provides recognition by the President of persons living abroad who have given sustained and distinguished services to Ireland or to Irish communities abroad. So far, 30 remarkable individuals have been honoured, and we are now welcoming nominees for the 2015 awards; the closing date is 22 April.

There are so many Irish people doing great things all over the world and the awards offer an opportunity to recognise them. I take this opportunity to encourage members of the committee to consider nominating eligible candidates from their own international networks through the embassy in the country in which those individuals are resident.

We also have the Certificate of Heritage scheme, which is an acknowledgement of the importance the Government attaches to recognising people of Irish descent. Uptake of the certificate has been disappointing, with fewer than 3,000 certificates having been produced to date. In 2015 we will undertake an evaluation of the operation of the certificate scheme.

This policy will continue to evolve. We want to be responsive to real need. Therefore, I remain open to new ideas so that the policy can evolve to meet changing needs in changing times. We will also try to build better and stronger links with alumni from Irish institutions overseas, as they have enormous potential for the institutions and for Ireland as a whole. In 2015 we will launch an alumni challenge fund to provide seed funding to new collaborative initiatives by Irish institutions to target their Irish and non-Irish graduates working internationally.

That was just a small taste of some of the actions contained within our new policy. The implementation of those will be overseen by an interdepartmental committee that I will chair. This committee will ensure a whole-of-Government approach, will report to Government on progress and will review the implementation fully after two years.

I thank committee members for the opportunity to address them this morning. I am grateful to have the chance to outline the work I have done since I was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for diaspora affairs, and to highlight some of the important upcoming work. I look forward to the response of members and especially to hear any new proposals they might have. As I said at the launch of Global Irish: Ireland's Diaspora Policy, it is the first comprehensive policy statement by any Government in the history of the State. It is appropriate that it is coming at this time, prior to the commemoration of 2016. The policy is comprehensive, but given that it is a work in progress, we can add new ideas as they emerge. That is one of the reasons I am delighted to be present at this morning's meeting.