Over €1 Million in Further Emigrant Funding

Mr. Dermot Ahern, T.D., Minister for Foreign Affairs, today announced a series of further grants, totalling €1,013,940, for organisations working to support and respond to the needs of Irish emigrant communities in Britain.

In making the announcement, the Minister expressed his “great admiration of the invaluable work of the organisations in the front line in Britain in providing care and assistance to our emigrants, and especially to the most vulnerable members of the community”.

The Minister continued that he is determined to support and strengthen these organisations in every way possible. In order to help achieve this, a Dedicated Unit – the Irish Abroad Unit – has been established in the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the funding available has been increased by two thirds over last year.

In conclusion, the Minister emphasised that the Government is deeply committed to strengthening and growing this critically important policy area.

A background note, and list of the further grants, is attached.
Note for Editors:

The Minister for Foreign Affairs today approved grants of €1,013,940 to organisations in Britain that provide welfare services to Irish people. These grants were made following consideration of the recommendations of the Díon Committee which advises the Minister on issues relating to the welfare of the Irish community in Britain. (Díon is the Irish word for ‘shelter’)

Since the Díon mechanism was established in 1984, €22 million has been allocated to welfare services for the Irish community in Britain.

The Díon Fund has increased more than 450% in the past five years from €952,300 in 1999, to €4.3 million this year.

The grants announced today include building projects in the Cricklewood Homeless Concern and the London Irish Centre, as well as additional funding to a wide-range of organisations engaged in the provision of advice, counselling and information services to the Irish community in Britain.

The members of the Díon Committee are:

Mr Michael Forde, Managing Director of Ceiling Grids Group, Manchester; Chairman of the Irish World Heritage Centre, Manachester

Dr Breda Gray, Senior Lecturer, Women’s Studies, Department of Sociology, University of Limerick

Dr Theresa Joyce, Doctorate in Psychology supporting community care

Mr Seamus McGarry, former Chairperson of the Federation of Irish Societies

Mr Jim O’Hara, Chair, Irish Youth Foundation (UK)

Ms Catherine Quinn, Eastern Regional Health Authorities and County Dublin Vocational Education Committee

Chair: Michael Lonergan, Embassy of Ireland, London

Secretary: Amanda Bane, Embassy of Ireland, London

DION GRANTS - NOVEMBER 2004 – series of further grants to organisations working to support Irish emigrant communities in Britain.

€
Acton Homeless Concern, North London 11,260
Age Concern Ealing 8,600
Age Concern Hackney Borough 4,360
Aisling Return to Ireland project, Camden 8,330
Arlington Action Group, Camden 6,070
Birmingham Irish Community Forum (2nd Tier) 6,750
Blackfriars Advice Centre 7,930
Brent Irish Advisory Service 20,000
Broadway - Day Centre & Night Shelter London 6,400
Cairde na nGael - Newham & District Friends of Ireland 10,320
Camden Elderly Irish Network 36,110
CARA Irish Housing Association 4,520
Coventry Irish Society (formerly ICARG) 15,540
Cricklewood Homeless Concern 19,260
Federated Irish Association, Nottingham & Notts 2nd Tier 7,280
Federation of Irish Societies 13,180
Federation of Irish Societies (Capacity Building Project) 54,000
Finsbury Park Street Drinkers Initiative 6,600
GAA London Schools Project 6,400
Gloucester Emergency Accommodation Resource 2,600
Haringey Irish Cultural &Community Care Centre 16,570
Immigrant Counselling & Psychotherapy (ICAP) 18,400
Irish Centre Housing / Job Powerhouse 6,520
Irish Centre Hammersmith 54,000
Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas # 22,000
Irish Community Care Manchester 19,720
Irish Community Care Merseyside 21,770
Irish in Greenwich Project (incl Lewisham 1993-97) 18,520
Irish Travellers Movement (ITM) 9,430
Irish Welfare and Information Centre , Birmingham 30,270
Kilburn Irish Pensioners Club 600
Leeds Irish Health and Homes 16,740
Leicester Irish Forum 4,200
Lewisham Irish Community Centre 5,940
London Gypsy and Traveller Unit, Hackney 12,900
London Irish Centre Camden 31,930
London Irish Elders Forum 8,400
London Irish Women's Centre 17,460
Luton Irish Forum 7,030
New Horizon Youth Centre 6,400
NOAH Enterprise (Luton Day Centre for the Homeless) 11,220
Northampton Irish Support Group 8,330
RehabCare, Coventry 10,960
Safe Home Programme Ltd., Mulranny, Co. Mayo 22,000
Safe Start Foundation 7,710
Sandwell Irish Society, West Midlands 7,060
Sheffield Gypsy and Traveller Support Group 3,680
Sheffield Irish Peoples' Support & Devt Group 8,880
South London Irish Welfare Society, Wimbledon 13,810
Southwark Irish Pensioners Project 13,280
Southwark Travellers' Action Group (STAG) 11,750
St. Mungo's Housing Association 5,750
Tara Irish Pensioners Club 600
The Connection at St. Martin's 4,740
The Emerald Circle, Harrow 600
The Maya Centre (Counselling) 3,640
The Passage 7,670
The Simon Community 7,950
Social Clubs in Lancashire and Yorkshire 70,000

Building Projects
London Irish Centre Camden 100,000
Cricklewood Homeless Concern 100,000
Irish Community Care, Manchester 10,000

1,013,940


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