Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Seanad. Global Irish: Ireland's Diaspora Policy was launched last week by him and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan. It is the first clear statement of the Government's policy on the diaspora. The policy recognises the unique and important relationship between Ireland and the diaspora and sets out actions to nurture, develop and improve this relationship and engage with the diaspora. The new Global Irish website contains a wealth of information for the diaspora on support services, living abroad and, importantly, staying in touch and returning home to Ireland. A number of new initiatives contained in the policy include a new global Irish media fund to encourage and support media coverage of the diaspora and its emigration experience and an alumni challenge fund to provide seed funding for new collaborative initiatives undertaken by Irish institutions to target their Irish and non-Irish graduates working internationally.

The Minister of State has confirmed that there will be a fourth global Irish economic forum held in Dublin this year. Speaking at the launch of the policy, he noted the continued emphasis in the policy on welfare and associated actions. He announced Ireland's first global civic forum, which will be held in June.It will bring together Irish community leaders and members of Ireland's emigrant and diaspora communities to discuss the challenges facing the Irish abroad.

The Global Irish policy defines the Government's role in driving and fostering engagement with the diaspora in every way. I note that the Minister of State will establish an interdepartmental committee to oversee implementation of the policy which will be reviewed after two years. It will be a good idea to do this to see if it has been successful or needs to be tweaked. In connecting with the diaspora we will explore working with Northern Ireland connections and others to pursue an engagement to benefit the island of Ireland. It is intended to convene an interdepartmental committee on the Irish abroad, which will include external stakeholders as required. It is also proposed to support local authorities in identifying and connecting with the diaspora. That is a good initiative. No doubt this policy will help to improve communications and connectivity between Ireland and the diaspora. Two-way communication is central to this engagement and so important for our benefit. The Minister of State proposes to convene a global Irish civic forum to discuss the challenges facing the Irish abroad and capture the voices of ordinary Irish emigrants. The forum will be complemented by resources for Irish organisations worldwide, beginning with those funded under the emigrant support programme.

I was at the event at which the Minister of State launched a website for prospective emigrants, based on input from 500 young Irish emigrants who had opened up about coping with emigration, what they had encountered, their views and experiences. They were from different walks of life and had had different experiences of emigration. The loneliness and homesickness experienced by young Irish men and women who have left to find work abroad have been laid bare on the new website to help to support others who are planning to leave. They emphasise the importance of planning and identifying what needs to be identified in whatever city to which people plan to emigrate, whether it be Chicago, New York or Sydney. I was delighted to be present at the launch, on which I congratulated the Minister of State. The website seeks to assist future emigrants by providing simple but effective advice and tools to deal with the inevitable challenges they will face. I did not realise how great they were until I heard the young people concerned open their hearts and tell us about some of them, from pre-departure preparations to the early days abroad, when their initial experiences did not match their expectations. For those who are experiencing particular difficulties, practical advice is provided on coping mechanisms. Both current and future emigrants will find it a useful portal which provides the tools necessary to navigate the often challenging experiences of emigration. I have never had to emigrate, but I have children who have done so and know about their experiences.

The website was developed following extensive consultation with 500 recent emigrants from various walks of life, young men and women, on how they were coping emotionally in their new lives. With a guarantee of anonymity, their honest responses paint a picture of sadness and a longing for home that Skype and other social media have not been able to overcome. They were asked for feedback on how prepared they were before they left, how their expectations had changed after they had arrived and how they had coped with the emotional upheaval of leaving. The majority, 71%, said they had regularly experienced homesickness, while 64% stated the experience was harder than they had ever expected. Over half of the participants stated the level of emotional support available abroad was worse compared to that in Ireland. Missing family, friends and home was the most commonly cited challenge. They advised emigrants to spend time with family and friends before leaving, to tell loved ones that they loved them, to take time to say goodbye to everyone about whom they cared and to try their best to leave on good terms with everyone. On a more practical note, one person advised them to set up Viber and Skype accounts before they went, especially for their parents, and to write down their usernames and passwords down in case they forget them.