Nessa Cosgrove (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus déanaim comhghairdeas leis as a phost nua. When we think of our Irish diaspora, we often have a mixed idea of what that means. As can be seen from all the contributions here, there is no such thing as a typical Irish emigrant. All our families in Ireland, especially in the west, have been impacted in some way by emigration, for better or worse. Often, people are going to make a better life for themselves and are very happy in their new lives. As islanders, I suppose, emigration is an accepted part of our culture. Some people are happy to leave and this continues to be the case. They contribute to the economic and cultural wealth of their host countries.

Many of us spoke about ourselves. I have worked abroad many times and benefited greatly from it. Today, though, as we are talking about the Irish diaspora, it is also the case that others have not been so lucky and have become trapped by life. They are working harder than anyone else in the world just to stand still. Some of those people often dream of returning to Ireland. We can see that this is very rich and evident in some of the poignant songs, poems and stories in our own culture, particularly songs like Christy Moore’s “Missing You” or the many similar references in the Pogues' work about emigration and people unfortunately not being able to make it back, like in “Thousands are Sailing”. I do not want to call them the forgotten Irish, but many people who could not make it back to our shores have had hard stories to tell. They may have been survivors of childhood abuse or mother and baby homes and may often perhaps struggle with addiction that has impacted their lives and those of their families.

We know we are in the middle of a housing disaster. I pay tribute to Safe Home Ireland, which is a significant organisation based in rural County Mayo. It helps to make the dreams of returning to Ireland come true for many of our fellow Irishmen and Irishwomen who otherwise would not have been able to make it home. The organisation was established 25 years ago. The west and north-west of Ireland have been severely impacted by emigration before and after the Famine, and since, because of a lack of investment in the region and the consistent unbalanced regional development. Dr. Jerry Crowley was a GP in Mulranny in rural County Mayo and established Safe Home Ireland as an emigrant advice centre that offers housing assistance, information and advice on matters such as banking and social welfare entitlements for older people aged over 57 years currently living in rented accommodation abroad and seeking to return to Ireland after a lifetime abroad. When Safe Home Ireland was first founded, it catered chiefly to men who had been working in the building trade and then found themselves falling on hard times, wanting to but unable to make their own way home.

Throughout the years, this has continued to be the case for many people and many people avail of the service. I pay tribute to Safe Home Ireland. It is an approved housing body but it is managed in a different way to the typical approved housing body. It does not manage any of the properties on its own but works alongside other approved housing bodies and local authorities to find appropriate accommodation for its clients throughout the country. Significantly, all its clients apply to live here while residing abroad. Through its early works, Safe Home Ireland successfully highlighted the plight of people to such an extent that, within one year, it had achieved an amendment to the capital assistance scheme, which meant for the first time those living abroad could be considered for inclusion on social housing application lists.

Safe Home Ireland's first client made it home in 2000. He was an elderly man who had already been diagnosed with a terminal disease and Safe Home Ireland made it possible for him to die at home. He was home just six months later. By the end of 2023, Safe Home Ireland had directly assisted 2,280 Irish-born older people to secure accommodation back in their areas of birth through offers of housing from approved housing bodies and local authorities. While we do celebrate the diaspora and the cultural significance of our teanga and our cultúr and what we bring to the rest of the world, we can also make time to consider some of the lives of Irish people that are not complete until they can find their own way home to these shores. Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin.