Minister Dermot Ahern announces grants to organisations that provide services to Irish Emigrants in Australia
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern T.D., has announced grants exceeding €100,000 to three Irish Welfare centres in Australia, and, for the first time, a grant to Melbourne Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
“The Welfare Centres in Sydney and Melbourne are now taking on staff to develop their services. I am delighted to increase funding to these groups that do such invaluable work to support our communities in Australia. The centre in Woolongong, for instance, is engaged in community care to older Irish people who travelled to Australia some 50 years ago to work in the mines and factories of this industrialised area which has since experienced significant economic decline.
While the focus of our efforts is inevitably in support of our vulnerable citizens in Britain, and also in the US, we must never ever forget that there are older and vulnerable Irish people elsewhere in the world who need our help, including as the present grants show in Australia”.
2006 emigrant services grants
|
AUSTRALIA |
Aus $ |
€ |
|
Australian Irish Welfare Bureau, Sydney |
$80,000 |
€47,310 |
|
Australian Irish Welfare Bureau, Melbourne |
$73,000 |
€43,175 |
|
Australian Irish Welfare Bureau, Wollongong |
$15,000 |
€ 8,870 |
|
Melbourne Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann |
$ 2,000 |
€ 1,185 |
|
Total |
$170,000 |
€100,540 |
ENDS +++
2 January 2007
Press Office
