Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I am delighted to be here. I am also pleased to be joined by Dr. Mary Tilki and Ms Jennie McShannon from Irish in Britain, and Mr. Brian O'Dwyer and Mr. Mike Carroll from the Emerald Isle Immigration Centre in New York. I am delighted to be sitting next to Mr. O'Dwyer. His family have made an extraordinary contribution to public life in New York and the USA, and they have been unstinting in their support for everything Irish, both on the island of Ireland and in America. His uncle, William O'Dwyer, was mayor of New York between 1945 and 1950. He was in attendance as mayor on the celebrated day when Cavan beat Kerry in the Polo Grounds in New York. He was also instrumental, with John "Kerry" O'Donnell, in securing Gaelic Park from city land, an arrangement that continues to exist. Mr. Brian O'Dwyer's father, Paul O'Dwyer, was president of the New York city council. All three individuals have made major contributions to Ireland over the years. I also acknowledge Mr. O'Dwyer's colleagues, Mr. Mike Carroll and Mr. Cody McCone.

The primary objective of the emigrant support programme, which is run by the Department of Foreign of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is to address the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable Irish emigrants. Its areas of work that are most relevant to today's discussion are: supporting equitable access for Irish emigrants and community organisations to statutory and voluntary services; promoting the development of responses from the voluntary sector which reflect the diverse needs of the emigrant Irish community; and supporting the professional development of the Irish abroad voluntary sector and encouraging best practice and capacity building. Since taking my position as Ireland's first Minister of State with responsibility for diaspora affairs, I have had the opportunity to visit many of our Irish communities in traditional areas of emigration, including London, Luton, New York, Philadelphia, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

I have also visited some of the newer Irish communities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur. In all of these locations I have witnessed the emigrant support programme at work. I pay tribute to Dr. Tilki, Ms McShannon, Mr. O'Dwyer and Mr. Carroll and the many others like them who work day in and day out to help to improve the lives of Irish people all over the world. Without people like them, the work the Government does and the funding provided by the emigrant support programme, ESP, for organisations that provide vital services for Irish communities would not have the impact that they do.

The emigrant support programme works in partnership with organisations such as Irish in Britain and the Emerald Isle Centre across the globe. The main focus of the programme is to support the most vulnerable and marginalised members of the Irish community overseas. In the main, the funding provided under the programme enhances the lives and well-being of the people it supports through outreach services for the elderly, the lonely and the vulnerable and through the provision of health services such as those provided for individuals suffering with mental health issues. In general, it does not provide services directly, but it enables people to access the services to which they are entitled locally.

In the past ten years the emigrant support programme has provided over €114 million for more than 200 organisations in more than 20 countries. Most of the funding has been spent on welfare services, with 72% of the total budget allocation between 2009 and 2013 going to this area. In Britain the figure is even higher, with a total of 86% of the moneys granted to Britain going on welfare services. This funding has had a direct impact on the health and well-being of many thousands of Irish emigrants during the course of the past decade. Although cultural and heritage projects are not directly related to health, the recent Clinton Institute report on supporting the next generation of the Irish Diaspora highlighted the therapeutic impact of culture on the Irish Diaspora as a whole. It creates an environment in which people can celebrate and be proud of their Irish identity.

In order to give a sense of the depth and breadth of the emigrant support programme and the type of work it supports, I will highlight a number of projects which are supported. While not all of them provide direct health services, these culturally sensitive programmes contribute greatly to both the physical and mental health of some of our most vulnerable country men and women. Monica's Place in Birmingham specialises in taking care of elderly Irish men with significant alcohol issues in the Birmingham area. It provides accommodation in three residential houses and also assists this vulnerable group with practical, social and emotional support to meet their physical and mental health needs.

The emigrant support programme supports a number of housing associations in the United Kingdom, for example, Innisfree Housing Association, in providing homes for vulnerable Irish people. The programme also provides funding for a significant number of elders groups in the United Kingdom, the United States and elsewhere that provide outreach services, meals, companionship, education, arts and crafts and music, as well as other practical health initiatives such as keep fit classes and specialist groups for those coping with Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Tilki has done a lot of work in the area of memory loss and the cuimhne programme run by Irish in Britain is a wonderful example of this. It was for this and much more of the work done by her that Dr. Tilki received a Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad in 2013. The primary aim of the elders groups is to ensure the older members of the community do not become isolated or withdrawn and that they remain as active and healthy as possible throughout their later years.

Welfare centres in Australia provide support for the full range of the Irish community there, from the older emigrants to the young people who travel around Australia as backpackers. When I was in Australia recently, I had a chance to meet he people who run these centres and hear first-hand the stories of the people, young and old, whom they help. Also while in Australia, I met a group called Irish Families in Perth. This group came into being to provide support for families newly arrived or moving to Australia. With more than 2,000 members, it helps young families to integrate into life in Australia, while at the same time, encouraging them to be part of the vibrant Irish community there.

In the United States the emigrant support programme is an important partner in the work of Irish immigration centres across America such as the Emerald Isle Immigration Centre, including its umbrella organisation, the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres, CIIC. These centres, similar to those in Britain and Australia, provide outreach services for those who are vulnerable, including the elderly and those with substance abuse issues. A key role for the centres is providing support for the undocumented Irish who are rendered vulnerable by their status, which can have a negative impact on their physical and mental well-being. I am delighted that President Obama recently took executive action on the issue of immigration reform, allowing those who meet the criteria and register to be protected from deportation and given temporary legal status. Applications for this programme will open in six months. While this will by no means resolve the issue for all of the undocumented Irish, it will help a considerable number of them. Those living without documentation have lived with the stress and strain of their situation. I have spoken recently to Irish people living in the United States who have created employment there, who are paying taxes but who are living in constant fear of a knock on the door from the authorities. They live in constant fear that their families will be broken up. They live, too, with the fear of being in an accident or requiring medical treatment they cannot afford. I hope this action will bring some relief for such families. I acknowledge the work of people such as Mr. Billy Lawless, Mr. Ciaran Staunton, Ms Celine Kennelly and others in America, as well as Mr. O'Dwyer, in influencing the decision.

For those who do not qualify under President Obama's action and to ensure a long-term resolution of this issue, the Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and I will continue to press for comprehensive immigration reform by way of legislative action, as will the embassy and consulates in the United States. Since the announcement, the immigration centres, in conjunction with the embassy and consulates, have held public information sessions with immigration lawyers to provide people with as much information as possible and avoid any situation where people could be taken advantage of. I strongly urge people in the United States seeking information on the changes to contact their nearest immigration centres as a first step. These immigration centres have received €1.3 million in funding from the emigrant support programme in 2014 and over €12 million since 2004, showing the depth of the commitment successive Governments have had to Irish immigrants in the United States.

I am very concerned about the mental health of Irish emigrants. This issue has come up during the consultation process for the Diaspora policy review and also in the recent report on the emigrant support programme. The programme supports a number of mental health projects, primarily in Britain, that provide counselling services for those in distress. Organisations such as Immigrant Counselling and Psychotherapy, ICAP; Console which has in recent years expanded its services to the United Kingdom; New Horizons, and Mind Yourself provide vital services for the people concerned. The Coalition of Immigration Centres in the United States has done much work in this area, including the roll-out of suicide prevention training using the QPR – question, persuade and refer - steps across the immigration centres they represent. The GAA is also playing a role in raising awareness and providing support for those who need it. When I was in Perth recently, I launched, with Mr. Liam O'Neill, the GAA's striving and surviving in Australia resource, which is online and has attracted much attention.

I am delighted to announce that we are, for the first time, providing funding for Pieta House to support its work internationally among emigrants. Pieta House will this week receive a grant of $90,200, or €72,258, to help to introduce its crisis intervention services in the United States for those considering suicide and self-harm. It will pilot the project in conjunction with the three main Irish centres in New York, namely, the Aisling Centre, the New York Irish Centre and the Emerald Isle Immigration Centre which Mr. O'Dwyer and Mr. Carroll represent. I recently visited the three centres and recognise the work of the directors, Ms Siobhán Dennehy of the Emerald Isle Centre, Mr. Paul Finnegan of the New York Irish Centre and Ms Orla Kelleher of the Aisling Centre.

This pilot project will create a "Pieta Room" in the New York Irish Centre and will be the main point of referral for Irish people in crisis in the New York area. In addition, Pieta House will work with the GAA to bring the Pieta “Mind Your Buddy” campaign to GAA clubs in New York.

Once again, I am delighted to appear before the committee to discuss how the health and well-being of our emigrants is at the core of the work of the emigrant support programme and the Irish abroad unit in my Department. It is fundamental to much of what we do and as the first ever Minister of State with responsibility for the diaspora, it gives me great pleasure to be in a position to highlight the work that is supported by this programme and bring focus to the issues that impact on the lives of our families overseas.