Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 367: To ask the Minister for Finance his views regarding a submission (details supplied); the funding made available to the group for each year since its inception; the plans he has to supplement the funding; the criteria that the group can follow to ensure that further development of the safe home programme can continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31115/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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At the outset I should point out that the safe home programme is a matter for my colleague Micheál Martin T.D., Minister for Foreign Affairs and I am replying on his behalf.

Funding for the Safe Home Programme has been provided annually by the Department of Foreign Affairs since 2003. Emigrant Support (then Díon) grants were also awarded to the Safe Home Programme in 2001 (€63,487) and 2002 (€82,500), at a time when the Emigrant Support Programme in Britain was administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The Department of Foreign Affairs remains very supportive of the excellent work of the Safe Home programme. The award of a €249,900 grant in April of this year brought the Department's total funding for Safe Home since 2003 to over €1,100,000 (see attached table for annual breakdown). This substantial funding is testament to the high value which the Government places on the work performed by the Safe Home Programme in enabling elderly Irish emigrants to return to live in Ireland.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Department has progressively increased the level of funding available for emigrant services in recent years, from €3 million in 2003 to a record €15.183 million this year. These significant increases have enabled the Emigrant Support Programme, administered by the Irish Abroad Unit, to provide far greater financial support to the most vulnerable members of our overseas communities.

Organisations are required to satisfy strict criteria in order to qualify for Emigrant Support funding, which are set out in detail on the grant application form, available on the Department's website, www.dfa.ie. Former grant recipients are also required to supply detailed documentation, including audited accounts, as set out in the letters of offer accompanying all Government grants awarded under the Programme.

As the Deputy will appreciate, all grant applications for Emigrant Support funding are reviewed on their respective merits each year. However, my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD, has asked that I assure the Deputy that his Department will maintain the current very significant level of funding to frontline welfare organisations in the period ahead.

Since its inception, I am informed that Safe Home has also received funding from the Department of Social and Family Affairs (totalling €262,245) and the Department of Environment and Local Government (totalling €307,860). Details are shown in the following tables.

Since its inception, I am informed that Safe Home has also received funding from the Department of Social and Family Affairs (totalling €262,245) and the Department of Environment and Local Government (totalling €307,860). Details are attached in the tables below.