Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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191. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there is emergency funding available from the Exchequer for the Irish people living in America, whose homes were damaged recently as a result of storms [2511/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Hurricane Sandy directly affected large numbers of Irish Americans and neighbourhoods which have a special place in New York Irish American life. Following discussions between the Taoiseach and President Obama and between myself and US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, I announced on 6 December 2012 that the Irish Government would provide emergency funding of €250,000 to assist the Irish and wider communities worst affected by Hurricane Sandy.

A total of €200,000 of this funding was made available by Irish Aid through its Emergency Fund and €50,000 was provided under the Emigrant Support Programme. I was also pleased to see The American Ireland Fund has pledged $250,000 to the relief effort.

Our funding, which is being co-ordinated by our Consulate General in New York, will be directed towards the relief activities of the Irish centres in New York and reconstruction efforts in the areas where Hurricane Sandy caused massive devastation to communities, including many with deep Irish roots.

The Consulate also co-ordinated two Irish Days of Action which involved more than 1,500 volunteers being assigned to work in a range of locations including Breezy Point, Belle Harbour, the Far Rockaways and Hamilton Beach.