Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 28: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the support he will offer to the Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith, London in their efforts to secure the building that houses the centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30326/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Since 2006, the Irish Government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Emigrant Support Programme, has been a key funder of the Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith. In that period, the Centre has received over £1 million in grants in support of a range of its education, cultural, seniors and youth activities. I understand that following the decision of the Hammersmith and Fulham Council to sell the Centre's building, the Council advised the Centre on 16 August that they would accept £1.5 million for the building.

The Centre has now undertaken a fund raising programme to purchase the building. I met with the Centre's Board during my recent visit to London and I reiterated the Government support for the Centre as evidenced by the £205,650 grant which I approved earlier this year. I also indicated fund-raising must be led by the Centre and the local community and that any Government support for the purchase of the building would have to supplement funds raised by the Centre and the wider Irish Community in London and Britain. Our Embassy in London remains in regular contact with the Centre and I have asked the Ambassador and his team to provide all appropriate support to the fund raising campaign.