Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the services his Department offers to support Irish emigrant groups abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4718/06]

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 such 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 the organisation with its work, including the updating of the highly successful Returning to Ireland Guide, and the maintenance of the website www.emigrantadvice.ie.

Other voluntary organisations involved in the provision of information for Irish people abroad, which have received funding from my Department since 2005 include the Coalition of Irish Immigrant Centres USA, the Aisling Irish Centre, New York, and the Irish Immigration and Pastoral Centre in Philadelphia. The safe home programme run by the Mayo-based organisation dedicated to helping elderly Irish emigrants wishing to return to Ireland to live but lacking the means to do so received €80,000 in 2005 to assist with information provision activities. The Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas also received a grant towards the provision of an information service for Irish prisoners overseas and their families.

An amount of €427,000 has been allocated in 2006 by my Department for voluntary organisations providing information and advice to emigrants. Support for the provision of information for Irish people abroad who are contemplating returning to live in Ireland will continue to be a priority for my Department in the disbursement of this funding.

The funding provided by my Department to voluntary organisations involved in the provision of information for emigrants is in line with the main recommendations of the report of the task force on policy regarding emigrants which was published in August 2000. The task force recommended that there should be close co-operation between the various Departments and voluntary agencies at home and abroad regarding the provision of information to our emigrants.