Written answers
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Emigrant Support Services
8:00 pm
Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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Question 64: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide a list of the amounts drawn down to date of the emigrant services grants for 2009 and 2010 for Britain. [8572/11]
Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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Question 65: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the procedures in place to ensure that the emigrant services grants, particularly for 2009 and 2010, have been spent in the areas that they have been applied for and benefit the target groups in the applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8573/11]
Eamon Gilmore (Tánaiste; Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 65 together.
Through the Emigrant Support Programme (ESP), my Department provides funding to not-for-profit organisations and projects to support Irish communities overseas, with a particular focus on initiatives that address the needs of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable Irish emigrants. Details of all grant recipients since 2006 can be found on my Department's website. €8,459,319 was provided to British-based organisations in 2009 and €8,135,668 in 2010 - a full list of grant recipients is set out in the table. Two organisations who drew down funding in 2009 subsequently returned money to the Department. The first returned stg£4,085 due to an under-spend on their capital project while the second returned stg£3,600 due to the cancellation of their proposed project.
As elsewhere, the emphasis of the programme's funding in Britain is on supporting frontline welfare services. The organisations funded provide a range of services, ranging from informal community networking groups for senior citizens to outreach services and advice in accessing entitlements. This support has had a very tangible and positive impact on Irish communities in Britain, in particular on the lives of our vulnerable citizens, a point acknowledged by the Simon Community and the British-Irish Inter-parliamentary Body, amongst others. In addition to supporting frontline services, the ESP has also supported a number of community and heritage projects and, through capital grants, invested in the strategic futures of these communities.
With regard to the procedures that are in place to ensure that the emigrant services' grants have been spent appropriately, I should point out that a stringent set of crtieria is in place to ensure appropriate use of approved funding. Once an application has been approved, organisations are required to sign a Terms and Conditions Contract which specifically sets out the terms of use of the grant and obliges them to return a monitoring and evaluation report to the Department within an agreed timeframe. The evaluation report allows the Department to measure progress on projects against the terms of the funding. Our Embassies also play a key role by remaining in regular contact with recipient organisations, including conducting formal and informal monitoring visits and meetings as required.
A 2007 Value for Money and Policy Review of the Programme, conducted by Goodbody Economic Consultants, found that the systems implemented to administer and monitor the Emigrant Support Programme worked well and the key recommendations made in the report have since been implemented. A 2009 audit of a number of ESP-funded organisations in Britain and the US by the Department's Audit Unit expressed satisfaction with the operation of the programme in respect of these organisations. All aspects of Departmental expenditure are reported on annually to the Public Accounts Committee and subject to unscheduled verification by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Emigrant Support Programme Grants to British-based organisations in 2009
Name of Organisation | 2009 (€) |
Acton Homeless Concern (London) | 51,435.87 |
Age Concern Hillingdon (Middlesex) | 8,020.10 |
Aisling Project (London) | 113,382.42 |
Bell Farm Christian Centre (Middlesex) | 11,271.35 |
Benefits Advice Shop (Denbighshire) | 5,843.85 |
Birmingham Irish Community Forum | 139,189.49 |
Blackfriars Advice Centre (London) | 22,692.46 |
Bolton Irish Community Association | 20,760.52 |
Brent Adolescent Centre (London) | 31,485.79 |
Brent Irish Advisory Service (London) | 196,255.74 |
Brian Boru Club (Wigan) | 31,594.95 |
Bristol Playbus Project | 18,855.77 |
Causeway Irish Housing Association (London) | 25,691.19 |
Celtic & Irish Cultural Society (Crawley) | 20,278.17 |
Central & Cecil Housing Trust (London) | 63,013.15 |
Central Eltham Youth Project (London) | 27,230.95 |
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Liverpool) | 173,211.26 |
Conradh na Gaeilge, Glaschú (Glasgow) | 38,904.35 |
Corby Irish Centre | 49,293.73 |
Council of Irish County Associations (London) | 11,346.23 |
Coventry Irish Society | 130,659.78 |
Cricklewood Homeless Concern (London) | 220,273.82 |
Derby Irish Association | 31,126.02 |
Dewsbury Celtic RLFC | 54,851.63 |
Dewsbury Irish National League Club | 4,101.80 |
Eastleigh & District Irish Society | 36,724.26 |
Edinburgh Cyrenians | 18,750.48 |
Eireanns Ways (Glasgow) | 4,084.64 |
Emerald Circle Club (Harrow) | 3,506.31 |
Emerald Senior Citizens Group (Wolverhampton) | 8,181.39 |
Equinox (London) | 32,054.70 |
Federation of Irish Societies (London) | 659,215.98 |
Forest Bus (Southampton) | 5,728.67 |
Friends, Families and Travellers (Brighton) | 17,643.76 |
Full Irish Festival and Funday (Cheshire) | 5,162.53 |
Gael Music (Reading) | 8,509.67 |
Garngad Irish Heritage Group | 7,942.36 |
GEAR Project (Gloucester) | 23,375.41 |
Greenwich Irish Pensioners Association (London) | 6,661.99 |
Halifax and District Irish Society | 20,102.85 |
Halifax Irish Centre | 20,774.14 |
Haringey Irish Cultural and Community Centre (London) | 177,202.15 |
Haringey Irish Pensioners | 3,971.18 |
Harps Community Project (Glasgow) | 40,846.43 |
Haslingden IDL Club | 5,750.35 |
Huddersfield Irish Centre | 7,409.09 |
Huddersfield St. Patrick's Day Parade Association | 5,843.85 |
Immigrant Counselling and Psychotherapy (ICAP) (London) | 205,650.50 |
IN-GB Association - Ireland Network Great Britain (London) | 5,843.85 |
Irish Centre Housing (London) | 114,708.32 |
Irish Chaplaincy in Britain (London) | 219,069.09 |
Irish Charitable Trust (London) | 193,022.44 |
Irish Community Care Manchester | 198,194.25 |
Irish Community Care Merseyside | 311,472.86 |
Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith | 248,900.78 |
Irish Diaspora Foundation (Manchester) | 65,919.82 |
Irish Elderly Advice Network (London) | 102,619.21 |
Irish Heritage (Surrey) | 11,687.70 |
Irish in Greenwich (London) | 225,621.79 |
Irish Network (Stevenage) | 29,175.70 |
Irish Oral History Archive (London) | 83,688.64 |
Irish Repertory Theatre and Film Company (London) | 6,070.23 |
Irish Traveller Movement in Britain (London) | 136,000.45 |
Irish Tuesday Club (Liverpool) | 5,165.97 |
Irish Welfare & Information Centre (Birmingham) | 241,975.22 |
Irish World Heritage Centre (Manchester) | 43,172.04 |
Kilburn Irish Pensioners | 6,598.48 |
Lancashire Federation of IDL Clubs | 876.58 |
Leeds Gypsy & Traveller Exchange | 52,809.03 |
Leeds Irish Centre Charity | 32,447.55 |
Leeds Irish Health & Homes | 171,183.98 |
Leeds St. Patrick's Day Parade & Celebrations | 11,913.54 |
Leicester & Leicestershire Irish Forum | 46,598.88 |
Lewisham Irish Community Centre | 57,186.85 |
Lewisham Irish Pensioners Association | 10,402.06 |
Liverpool Irish Festival Society | 4,967.27 |
London Gypsy and Traveller Unit | 110,270.54 |
London Irish Amateur Rugby Club | 10,438.53 |
London Irish Centre Charity | 579,688.28 |
London Irish Music School | 7,597.01 |
London Irish Pensioners Choir | 4,242.64 |
London Irish Women's Centre | 88,639.55 |
Luton Irish Forum | 287,327.26 |
Manchester Irish language Group | 876.58 |
Mansfield & Dukeries Irish Association | 4,675.08 |
Marian Senior Citizens Club (London) | 3,623.19 |
Milton Keynes Irish Centre | 37,857.65 |
Momentum Care Irish Elders Centre (Glasgow) | 111,348.76 |
Monica's Place (Birmingham) | 35,063.11 |
New Horizon Youth Centre (London) | 66,975.56 |
NOAH Enterprise (Luton) | 136,811.59 |
North London Action for the Homeless | 6,851.33 |
North Wales Irish Society | 7,012.62 |
Northampton Irish Support Group | 70,814.63 |
Nottingham Irish Studies Group | 1,168.77 |
Nottingham St. Patrick's Day Parade Festival Association | 10,778.92 |
Our Lady Help of Christian Homeless Project (London) | 65,234.92 |
Over 60's Pensioners Club (Camden, London) | 2,199.49 |
Oxford Irish Society | 2,507.42 |
Portsmouth Irish Society | 1,633.57 |
Queen's Park Senior Citizen Group (London) | 4,675.08 |
Reading and District Irish Association | 55,944.06 |
Rotherham Irish Society | 3,214.12 |
Safe Start Foundation (Middlesex) | 132,750.89 |
Sandwell Irish Community Association | 15,884.72 |
Sandwell Irish Society | 38,569.42 |
Sheffield Irish Association | 8,118.04 |
SIFA Fireside (Birmingham) | 46,750.82 |
Solace Women's Aid (Camden Women's Aid) (London) | 48,221.48 |
Southwark Irish Culture & Arts Development | 10,518.93 |
Southwark Irish Pensioners Project | 199,011.22 |
Southwark Irish Youth | 8,181.39 |
Southwark Travellers Action Group | 87,657.78 |
St. Catherine's Mercy Centre (Edinburgh) | 6,094.06 |
St. Michael's Irish Centre (Liverpool) | 97,175.45 |
St. Mungo's Community Housing Association Ltd London) | 34,642.03 |
St. Patrick's Day Festival Committee (Coatbridge) | 7,698.23 |
St. Patrick's Senior Tuesday Club (Leamington Spa) | 5,105.80 |
St. Theresa's House (Peterborough) | 28,629.94 |
Streetwork UK (Edinburgh) | 35,063.11 |
Tara Irish Pensioners (London) | 2,219.50 |
The Connection at St. Martin's (London) | 23,375.41 |
The Emerald Centre (Leicester) | 52,627.40 |
The Golden Shamrock Club (Nottingham) | 11,898.08 |
The Hibernian Society (Reading) | 44,413.28 |
The Irish Arts Foundation (Leeds) | 100,251.29 |
The Maya Centre (London) | 22,692.46 |
The Passage (London) | 41,981.05 |
The Simon Community (London) | 17,531.56 |
The Warrington Irish Club | 35,899.40 |
Tyneside Irish Centre | 66,440.27 |
Tyneside Irish Cultural Society | 25,128.56 |
Watford and District Irish Association | 24,161.86 |
Total | 8,459,319.35 |
Emigrant Support Programme Grants to British-based organisations in 2010
2010 (€) | |
Name of Organisation | |
Acton Homeless Concern (London) | 56,401.55 |
Age Concern Hillingdon (Middlesex) | 9,895.73 |
Aisling Project (London) | 117,616.39 |
Basingstoke Irish Society | 19,503.34 |
Bell Farm Christian Centre (Middlesex) | 12,124.15 |
Benefits Advice Shop (Denbighshire) | 6,053.27 |
Birmingham Irish Community Forum | 87,698.84 |
Blackfriars Advice Centre (London) | 23,257.17 |
Bolton Irish Community Association | 8,474.58 |
Bradford Irish Club Ltd | 6,053.27 |
Brent Adolescent Centre (London) | 33,595.64 |
Brent Irish Advisory Service (BIAS) | 224,296.80 |
Brian Boru Club (Wigan) | 44,552.06 |
Bristol Playbus Project | 9,111.21 |
Causeway Irish Housing Association (London) | 28,323.23 |
Celtic & Irish Cultural Society (Crawley) | 21,823.47 |
Central & Cecil Housing Trust (London) | 62,218.72 |
Central Eltham Youth Project (London) | 29,097.96 |
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Liverpool) | 174,753.88 |
Conradh na Gaeilge, Glaschú (Glasgow) | 41,939.86 |
Corby Irish Centre | 34,622.73 |
Council of Irish County Associations (London) | 6,133.17 |
Coventry Irish Society | 152,345.04 |
Cricklewood Homeless Concern (London) | 207,287.83 |
Derby Irish Association | 36,372.45 |
Edinburgh Cyrenians | 16,525.22 |
Emerald Circle Club (Harrow) | 3,637.25 |
Emerald Senior Citizens Group (Wolverhampton) | 8,474.58 |
Equinox (London) | 31,855.34 |
Federation of Irish Societies | 686,435.26 |
Feith an Cheoil School of Irish Traditional Music (Middlesex) | 4,849.66 |
Forest Bus (Southampton) | 6,207.57 |
Friends, Families and Travellers (Brighton) | 12,555.77 |
Full Irish Festival and Funday (Cheshire) | 5,455.87 |
Gael Music (Reading) | 4,243.45 |
Garngad Irish Heritage Group | 10,911.74 |
GEAR Project (Gloucester) | 24,213.08 |
Greenwich Irish Pensioners Association (London) | 6,900.73 |
Halifax and District Irish Society | 20,823.24 |
Halifax Irish Centre | 16,973.81 |
Haringey Irish Cultural and Community Centre (London) | 190,922.65 |
Harps Community Project (Glasgow) | 40,009.70 |
Haslingden IDL Club | 4,564.16 |
Huddersfield Irish Centre | 7,007.76 |
Immigrant Counselling and Psychotherapy (ICAP) (London) | 225,894.76 |
IPN Scotland | 1,193.89 |
Irish Chaplaincy in Britain (London) | 223,609.51 |
Irish Charitable Trust (London) | 200,230.36 |
Irish Community Care Manchester | 214,529.06 |
Irish Community Care Merseyside | 299,401.94 |
Irish Community Services/ Irish in Greenwich) | 244,236.18 |
Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith | 252,179.18 |
Irish Diaspora Foundation (Manchester) | 68,778.49 |
Irish Elderly Advice Network (London) | 106,007.26 |
Irish Heritage (Surrey) | 11,016.95 |
Irish Network (Stevenage) | 5,232.86 |
Irish Oral History Archive (London) | 97,743.34 |
Irish Pensioners Choir | 4,000.97 |
Irish Repertory Theatre and Film Company (London) | 7,516.97 |
Irish Traveller Movement in Britain (London) | 139,384.85 |
Irish Tuesday Club (Liverpool) | 8,491.53 |
Irish Welfare & Information Centre (Birmingham) | 215,436.47 |
Irish World Heritage Centre (Manchester) | 39,876.51 |
Kilburn Irish Pensioners | 5,435.84 |
Lancashire Federation of IDL Clubs | 2,267.22 |
Leeds Gypsy & Traveller Exchange | 56,351.09 |
Leeds Irish Centre | 72,639.23 |
Leeds Irish Health & Homes | 180,071.53 |
Leeds St Patrick's Day Parade Association | 12,210.01 |
Leicester & Leicestershire Irish Forum | 71,013.32 |
Lewisham Irish Community Centre | 60,468.63 |
Lewisham Irish Pensioners Association | 10,463.14 |
Liverpool Irish Festival Society | 9,456.84 |
London Gypsy and Traveller Unit | 116,698.59 |
London Irish Amateur Rugby Club | 12,609.12 |
London Irish Centre Charity | 605,127.12 |
London Irish Music School | 4,849.66 |
London Irish Women's Centre | 90,506.05 |
Luton Irish Forum | 122,566.59 |
Manchester Irish Education Group | 1,271.19 |
Manchester Irish Language Group | 909.31 |
Mansfield & Dukeries Irish Association | 6,053.27 |
Marian Senior Citizens Club (London) | 3,753.03 |
Milton Keynes Irish Centre | 19,297.82 |
Momentum Care Irish Elders Centre (Glasgow) | 116,570.22 |
Monica's Place (Birmingham) | 60,532.69 |
New Horizon Youth Centre (London) | 46,263.34 |
NOAH Enterprise (Luton) | 132,088.38 |
North London Action for the Homeless | 8,600.50 |
North Wales Irish Society | 7,516.97 |
Northampton Irish Support Group | 70,641.37 |
Nottingham St Patrick's Day Parade & Festival Association | 9,302.87 |
Over 60's Pensioners Club (Camden, London) | 1,212.42 |
Oxford Irish Society | 2,445.52 |
Queen's Park Senior Citizen Group (London) | 4,152.52 |
Rotherham Irish Society | 3,637.25 |
Safe Start Foundation (Middlesex) | 136,054.42 |
Sandwell Irish Community Association | 16,779.83 |
Sandwell Irish Society | 42,021.10 |
SanKTus (formerly Our Lady Help of Christian's Welfare ) | 67,670.95 |
Sheffield Irish Association | 6,332.03 |
SIFA Fireside (Birmingham) | 48,426.15 |
Slough Irish Society | 35,077.48 |
Solace Women's Aid (Camden Women's Aid) (London) | 51,527.64 |
Southwark Irish Culture & Arts Development | 9,578.08 |
Southwark Irish Pensioners Project | 209,975.79 |
Southwark Travellers Action Group | 90,925.07 |
St Patrick's Day Festival (London) | 8,357.21 |
St Patrick's Day Festival Committee (Coatbridge) | 7,880.70 |
St. Catherine's Mercy Centre (Edinburgh) | 6,062.08 |
St. Michael's Irish Centre (Liverpool) | 71,515.52 |
St. Patrick's Senior Tuesday Club (Leamington Spa) | 6,053.27 |
St. Theresa's House (Peterborough) | 31,188.17 |
Streetwork UK (Edinburgh) | 36,319.61 |
Tara Irish Pensioners (London) | 1,210.65 |
The Connection at St Martin's (London) | 24,248.30 |
The Emerald Centre (Leicester) | 56,934.62 |
The Golden Shamrock Club (Nottingham) | 11,585.84 |
The Hibernian Society (Reading) | 41,162.23 |
The Huddersfield St Patrick's Day Parade Association | 5,811.14 |
The Irish Arts Foundation (Leeds) | 103,994.91 |
The Irish Club Warrington | 8,777.24 |
The Maya Centre (London) | 24,248.30 |
The Passage (London) | 44,173.83 |
Tuesday Club Leeds Irish Centre | 7,263.92 |
Tyneside Irish Centre | 43,268.77 |
Tyneside Irish Cultural Society | 26,029.06 |
West Hampstead Women's Centre | 7,352.09 |
Total | 8,135,669 |
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