Written answers

Wednesday, 4 May 2005

Department of Foreign Affairs

Emigrant Services

9:00 pm

Photo of Barry AndrewsBarry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans regarding the recommendations made by the task force on policy regarding emigrants; the funding required to implement such recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14061/05]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The task force on policy regarding emigrants produced a very good report with wide-ranging conclusions, covering the full range of emigrant needs. Its recommendations were far-reaching and varied and the implementation of some of these will be, by necessity, on a phased basis over a number of years. Considerable progress has already been made, with action under way on over two thirds of its recommendations. A great many of the recommendations in the report relate to issues of continuing importance which will require ongoing action from all partners, in Government and the voluntary sector, in Ireland and abroad.

Funding for emigrant services has been rising significantly in recent years. Since 1997, funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs, and grants from the DION fund for emigrant welfare in Britain, have increased by some 850%. I was delighted to secure €8.27 million for 2005, an increase of 63% on the 2004 amount. The task force report, which provides a valuable framework for progress, stresses that help should go first and foremost to the vulnerable, the elderly and the marginalised. The increased funding being made available by my Department this year, the vast majority of which will again be directed to organisations providing frontline services to these vulnerable emigrants, will make a huge qualitative and quantitative difference. These organisations are active across the range of critical areas identified by the task force including pre-departure services and frontline advice and counselling to our community living abroad.

The Irish abroad unit is promoting progress on initiatives which build on the task force report. Officials of the unit have had a wide range of meetings in Ireland with Departments and agencies that have a role in the provision of services to emigrants. They have also had meetings with organisations that provide frontline services to Irish people throughout Britain and the US, including with groups supporting Irish people identified by the task force as being in need of special attention and assistance, such as older emigrants, travellers and undocumented Irish people in the US. Close and ongoing exchanges of this type ensure that those in the voluntary sector engaged in the provision of services to our emigrants have an effective channel of communication to the Government. In this way, we can ensure that the needs of our emigrants continue to be accorded the highest priority and that our response is effective and is developed further in the period ahead.

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