Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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496. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an outline of any voluntary repatriation programmes that exist; the budget allocation for same; if he will provide, in tabular form for each of the past ten years, the number of persons who have availed of such a scheme and the cumulative total for the years in question; the number of persons who have applied and the countries to which they wished to be repatriated, including the number in respect of each country and-or region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26094/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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There are no formal voluntary repatriation/return migration programmes to Ireland. However, through the Emigrant Support Programme, the Government provides funding to organisations that assist Irish people who are considering returning to Ireland e.g. Safehome and Crosscare.

The Government’s policy has been to create the economic conditions necessary to make returning to Ireland an option for those that have emigrated. The focus for the last number of years has been on job creation, over 52,000 of which have been created this year alone.

The Minister for Diaspora Affairs Mr Jimmy Deenihan has been in consultation with a range of organisations that are interested in bringing members of the diaspora home to take up opportunities in Ireland. In addition, Minister Deenihan chairs an Interdepartmental Committee dealing with all matters relating to the Irish Abroad and this provides a forum to discuss any barriers to those considering return and ways to address these challenges where possible.