Minister Cowen announces Government funding to immigrant advice groups in the USA
Following a meeting today with the Irish Immigration Working Committee in New York, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Brian Cowen, TD, announced funding of $300,000 for immigration centres in the US for the year 2002/2003. Minister Cowen made the following grant awards:
Project Irish Outreach, New York $55,000
Emerald Isle Immigration Center, New York $55,000
Aisling Irish Center, New York $14,000
Irish Immigration and Pastoral Center, Philadelphia $20,000
Philadelphia Immigration Resource Center $3,000
Irish Pastoral Center, Boston $48,000
Irish Immigration Center, Boston $48,000
Chicago Irish Immigration Support $ 12,000
Irish Immigration Pastoral Center, San Francisco $23,500
Irish Outreach, San Diego $2,000
Seattle Irish Immigration Support $2,000
Fáilte Irish Immigration Center, Washington DC $10,000
Irish Apostolate USA $7,500
The grant awards are in recognition of the excellent work by Irish immigration support groups across the United States in providing information, advice and outreach services to Irish immigrants. The funding is a practical expression of the Government's support for these efforts. The announcement brings the total amount allocated to immigrant support organisations in the US by the Irish Government since 1990 to almost US$3.6 million.
The Minister also thanked immigrant assistance groups in the US for their contribution to the Task Force on Policy regarding Emigrants. Minister Cowen said that the Report of the Task Force will be carefully considered and that he hoped that it will mark the start of a new approach to relations with Irish people abroad.
12 September 2002
Note for Editors:
The New York Irish Immigration Working Committee (IIWC) was established by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1987 under the auspices of the Irish Consulate to co-ordinate the activities of the main organisations engaged in the provision of advice to Irish immigrants. The Committee includes senior figures in the New York Irish-American community and representatives of organisations assisting Irish immigrants in the New York and Philadelphia area.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland, Mr Brian Cowen, T.D., received the Report of the Task Force on Policy regarding Emigrants in Dublin on 28 August. The commitment to establish the Task Force was included in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The Task Force was formed in December 2001 with a mandate to recommend a coherent long-term policy approach to emigration and meeting the needs of emigrants. The terms of reference of the Task Force covered all aspects of emigration including pre-departure services for emigrants, services overseas, and services for returning emigrants.
The Task Force undertook a public consultation process and invited submissions from interested organisations or individuals on any aspect of its terms of reference. A Task Force delegation visited the United States in February of this year and met with a number of immigration advice organisations in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco in order to seek the views of those actively engaged in assisting Irish immigrants in the United States.
