Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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184. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of young persons who are expected to participate on the Fréamhacha programme in 2016; the activities the programme will entail; the approximate cost of the programme to his Department and overall; and given that the programme in 2016 will be a pilot, the metrics that are being used to evaluate it as a success or a failure. [42086/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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In the course of the Global Irish Economic Forum my colleague Mr. Jimmy Deenihan T.D., Minister for Diaspora Affairs, announced his intention to pilot a summer camp programme designed to enhance connection with the Irish diaspora. It had already been indicated in ‘Global Irish: Ireland’s Diaspora Policy’that this pilot programme would take place.

It is proposed that this programme would allow younger members of the Irish diaspora the opportunity to visit Ireland on a short immersive visit in the summer of 2016. The programme will be primarily educational in nature and designed to encourage students to develop a deeper connection with Ireland. Participants will have the opportunity to travel to visit rural and urban areas, to learn about the country’s history and to experience the modern face of Ireland.

Work is currently underway in my Department to elaborate the details of this programme and to tender for an external partner to assist with its administration.The costs of the programme will be dependent on the number of young people participating and further details will be available in the coming weeks.

With regard to the evaluation of the programme following its pilot phase, my Department is committed to developing a clear methodology which will fully evaluate the pilot programme before any decision is taken on its future.