Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the United States and his discussions with Irish emigrant groups there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4719/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The role of my Department in supporting Irish emigrant groups abroad has centred on providing good quality, clear and comprehensive information for Irish people who wish to return to live in Ireland. My Department ensures that appropriate and relevant information for our emigrants abroad is available by funding and supporting the various voluntary agencies involved in this work. In carrying out these functions my Department works closely with the Irish abroad unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs which has primary responsibility for policy relating to emigrants and their support while abroad.

Emigrant Advice is the main voluntary organisation in Ireland involved in providing information for people intending to go abroad to work and for those emigrants abroad who are considering coming home. In 2005 my Department provided some €150,000 to assist this organisation with its work, which included the updating and publication of the information guide entitled "Returning to Ireland". This guide includes information on a wide range of topics including social welfare, health, pensions, taxation, education and accommodation. The information is presented in a way that is tailored to the needs of targeted groups of people, for instance, the elderly coming home to retire, single people returning to Ireland to find work, and the needs of families hoping to start a new life in Ireland. The guide outlines in a comprehensive way the benefits and costs associated with returning to Ireland to live. Copies have been posted to all our Irish immigrant centres abroad and to all Irish embassies and consulates. It has also been widely distributed to organisations in Ireland with an information giving role such as citizens information centres, FÁS offices and social welfare local offices.

I accepted an invitation from the board of the Emerald Isle Immigration Centre to visit their premises in New York on 1 February 2006 and to launch the guide at a gathering of Irish advice workers from Irish immigration centres throughout the USA. I feel it is important to demonstrate our support for our emigrants and emigrant groups. My visit to the centre was an opportunity to demonstrate that support and to help publicise this very important guide as broadly as possible.

I also accepted an invitation from the Irish Immigration and Pastoral Centre in Philadelphia to visit its centre on 2 February 2006. This year my Department provided funding of €25,000 to the centre for an information project to meet the needs of Irish immigrants in the Philadelphia and Delaware region. At the centre I met representatives of various Irish immigrant groups and other organisations and discussed how my Department could assist and support them in the provision of information and advice to Irish immigrants.

In both New York and Philadelphia, I was briefed and updated on the growing concerns over the situation of the undocumented Irish in the US and the problems they are currently encountering. In addition, while in Philadelphia I took the opportunity to visit the Social Security Administration Centre when I had the opportunity to see and hear at first hand how they use telephone facilities to provide enhanced services to customers.