Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the funding allocated by him to Irish-American groups in 2008 and to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31893/09]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Supporting Irish communities overseas, and in particular the most vulnerable members of these communities, is an important priority for the Government, as it has been for many Governments.

Since the establishment of the Irish abroad unit in 2004, the Government has allocated more than €60 million under the emigrant support programme, ESP, to support Irish communities abroad. Funding to Irish organisations in the United States has increased significantly in this same period, from just over $653,000 in 2004 to a record $5 million in 2008. This figure includes a specific item. A further $2.83 million has been allocated so far this year. Further details of grants allocated to support Irish community organisations and projects in the United States in 2008 and so far in 2009 are outlined in the table circulated for the Deputy's information.

The primary focus of this funding is to support the provision of key welfare, information and immigration advisory services to the more marginalised members of our community in the United States. The frontline Irish immigration organisations offer a wide range of socially sensitive services to the undocumented, elderly, homeless and other vulnerable persons. These services make a substantive difference to the lives of thousands of Irish emigrants in the US, reducing homelessness, tackling social isolation and enabling access to local statutory entitlements.

The embassy and consulates general have also worked closely with Irish immigration centres and organisations in the United States to design innovative and collaborative projects that address specific community needs. This approach has been particularly successful in developing outreach services for the elderly, many of whom live outside the community centres' traditional catchment areas. In May of this year, the Minister for Foreign Affairs launched one such innovative project, the New York Senior Helpline.

While the support of frontline welfare services continues to be the priority, the expansion of the emigrant support programme since 2003 has also enabled the Government to invest in a range of community and heritage projects, which foster a greater sense of Irish identity, in addition to strategic capital projects. In 2008, ESP grants were allocated to support flagship community projects in New York, San Francisco and Boston. These grants are a key part of the Government's approach to ensuring that the links between Ireland and Irish America remain strong and vibrant and complement other initiatives in this area, including the strategic policy review of Ireland's relationship with the United States.

Despite the current challenging budgetary situation, support for emigrant services worldwide has this year been maintained at its record 2008 level of €15.183 million. This is a significant achievement in the current economic climate, one which underlines our strong commitment to our overseas communities. The current allocation is some five times greater than the 2003 equivalent and represents a 15-fold increase on the 1997 figure.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister of State outline how a US organisation makes its application for funding? Does it submit an application directly to the Department or to the embassy? What are the links?

I may have misheard or misinterpreted the Minister of State. Did he say one item was excluded from the funding?

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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One additional, very large item.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister of State outline what that item was? In 2004, the funding amounted to $653,000 and in 2008 it was $5 million. Was this because additional funds came on stream or have circumstances deteriorated for many of the undocumented Irish in the United States? What is the current position on the attempts to obtain recognition for the undocumented Irish in the United States?

The Minister of State, Deputy Roche, said the amount of money allocated for Irish emigrant services abroad was €15.1 million last year. No reduction is proposed for this year. This contrasts starkly with the reduction in funding for Irish Aid under the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Power. Was the allocation for Irish emigrant services under threat at any stage? Was a policy decision taken to hit Irish Aid but not Irish emigrant services?

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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To take the last point first, as every Member of the House will be aware, we face very difficult economic circumstances and the budgetary situation could not really be worse. All programmes are under review.

On the first point, I did not mean to mislead the Deputy. There was a specific allocation of $2 million for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston, thereby increasing the figure to $5 million. The sum of $2.8 million, which has been allocated to date in 2009, is the second highest that has been allocated. I wanted to draw attention to the $2 million for the library last year because it was a specific capital fund.

The Deputy asked how various groups apply for funding. There are very good connections between the Irish community and the embassy and consulates general. This is very much encouraged by the people we have on the ground. There is a good community network involving the Irish embassies, as I am sure the Deputy is aware. Applications are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. I visited a number of the centres in receipt of funding.

If I travel to the United States, I try to go to some of the centres we support. It strikes me that the people who are most assisted are those in the parts of the Irish diaspora who did not break through the ceiling and did not do as well as some other Irish people. We have a specific responsibility towards them.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister of State say which organisation receives the greatest proportion of funding and what this amounts to? Does his Department ever receive representations from other groups complaining that some organisations receive funding they should not get? How are the audits of the organisations in receipt of funding carried out?

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Last year, the greatest allocation was for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. The Deputy has been given a full list of the allocations in tabular form. The second highest allocation, $500,000, was to San Francisco GAA. Some $250,000 was allocated to the American Irish Historical Society. Various grants were given, including grants as low as $25,000. The largest allocation so far this year, $350,000, was to the Irish Cultural Centre in New England. The allocations range from this sum down to approximately $10,000. There is a very wide scale and it is part of the ongoing audit in the Department.