Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 37: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the specific services and projects that will be affected by the €1.3 million reduction in support for Irish emigrants in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2359/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The emigrant support programme, ESP, administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, provides funding to non-profit organisations and projects to support Irish emigrant communities overseas and to facilitate the development of more strategic links between Ireland and the global Irish.

Between 2004 and 2011 over €93 million has been provided under the programme. The priority of the ESP, and of the organisations it supports, is in assisting the most vulnerable members of Irish communities overseas. These organisations have made a substantive difference to the lives of Irish people living abroad, reducing homelessness, tackling social isolation and enabling Irish emigrants to access their local statutory entitlements.

I do not expect frontline welfare to be adversely affected by the reduction in the overall 2012 budget. In 2011 some €11.27 million was provided to support over 200 organisations in 20 countries worldwide. A further €254,000 was spent on Global Irish Network related activities including hosting the Global Irish Economic Forum in October 2011. The 2012 allocation of €11.6 million is therefore broadly in line with 2011 expenditure. The reduction will, however, limit the programme's capacity to fund large scale capital projects as has been done over recent years.

The reduction is not related to, or attributable to, any particular country and all applications for funding in 2012 will be assessed on their merits. The 2012 ESP grant round will be open from 18 January to 29 February and information will be circulated publicly and to previous applicants as normal.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Tánaiste's response on this matter. We are all proud of what has been done in the last decade or more and of the allocation of more than €90 million to support vulnerable Irish people abroad. The public consciousness may be focused on elderly disadvantaged people in the United Kingdom. However, as the Tánaiste has said, 20 countries have benefitted from these funds, which reached a height of €15 million in 2008 and are down to about €10 million in the current year. I welcome the Tánaiste's assurance that funding will be intelligently spread across the services.

Can the Tánaiste assure the House that he will look at some of the destination countries of the new wave of emigrants? Do we have a programme in Canada, for example? Many Irish people are heading there at present. We would need to be doing something in that area.

In the objectives set out for emigrant support services reference is made to promoting projects and initiatives that support the outcomes of the Global Irish Economic Forum. What sort of initiatives have been followed in that area since the Tánaiste came into office and does he have any projects in mind for the funding that will be available in 2012?

Will the Tánaiste continue actively to support the young Irish people who are now abroad so we can maintain links with them and ensure they continue to have heritage, cultural and sporting experiences in the countries where they are now and that we achieve the objective that is dear to all our hearts and encourage their ultimate return to these shores?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I thank Deputy Ó Fearghaíl for his response and for his question. The round of grant allocations for 2012 is about to be opened. Those who have benefited from allocations in the past and any new organisations that have emerged since then will be eligible to apply. Our objective is to maintain our commitment to the provision of frontline support services to Irish emigrants. As the Deputy said, much of that has gone to emigrants in Britain, many of whom emigrated in the 1950s and 1960s and are now in difficult circumstances and in advanced years. We are anxious to continue support for them.

We must also consider the needs of the new Irish emigrants. I have met support organisations in the United States and heard of their difficulties and challenges. In Canada, for example, a new Irish support centre will be opened soon. I am conscious of the need to support our emigrants in Canada and Australia.

We are working through organisations such as the GAA, which is doing a huge amount of work with new Irish emigrants. It is a point of contact. We have concentrated on the capital side in helping the GAA to develop facilities, which are available for wider community use. We support the GAA in maintaining a network of contacts, particularly with new Irish emigrants.