Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which it is expected his Department can interact and engage with the Irish diaspora in the context of St Patrick's Day festivities worldwide with the objective of ensuring that they are not forgotten; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9276/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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One of the key priorities for our Missions abroad is to engage on an ongoing basis with Irish communities. St. Patrick’s Day provides an invaluable opportunity to engage directly with Irish communities around the world. St. Patrick’s Day provides an invaluable opportunity to further deepen this interaction. Each Ministerial programme during the period will include substantive Irish diaspora elements across all sectors including elderly Irish, recent emigrants, Irish business networks and cultural groups. In addition to the Ministerial Programmes, each of our Missions undertakes extensive Irish community programmes during the March period.

Building a strategic relationship between Ireland and its diaspora is a core priority for my Department. Since 2008, the Emigrant Support Programme has provided grants of €66 million to our people abroad, particularly our most vulnerable Irish emigrants. The Government has also intensified its engagement with the business community through the Global Irish Network. A decision has recently been taken to convene a third Global Irish Economic Forum in October of this year.