Irish Abroad Unit
Encyclopedia
The Irish Abroad Unit was established in 2004 following an announcement by Brian Cowen
TD, then Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs
. The Irish Abroad Unit is a dedicated Unit within the Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
and coordinates the provision of services to Irish emigrants across the globe and administers financial support to organisations in the voluntary sector engaged in the delivery of services to Irish emigrants.
Grants are extended to groups in the voluntary sector who provide advice and support to Irish people abroad, particularly those that help migrants access their rights and entitlements in their host countries. Priority is given to organizations that support the most vulnerable and marginalised, such as the older Irish community in Great Britain and undocumented Irish in the United States. Smaller grants have also been allocated to Irish groups in Australia, Canada, Argentina, South Africa, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Singapore, France and Mexico as well as to a number of organisations in Ireland who provide pre-departure information, and also advice to those emigrants who may be considering returning to Ireland. In 2007, the Irish Abroad Unit awarded grants of €14.165 million to organizations in eleven different countries
Following increases in funding, the programme has expanded to include a number of capital projects, as well as culture and heritage projects that support community networks and build on the interest of citizens abroad in their Irish heritage.
In general, recipients of Emigrant Services funding are Irish community organisations who have a functioning board of management, show clear objectives and have an accounting framework in place. The payment of grants to individual Irish citizens’ resident abroad is beyond the remit of the Irish Abroad Unit.
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
TD, then Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Government of Ireland. Its headquarters are at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole.The current...
. The Irish Abroad Unit is a dedicated Unit within the Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for promoting the interests of Ireland in the European Union and the wider world...
and coordinates the provision of services to Irish emigrants across the globe and administers financial support to organisations in the voluntary sector engaged in the delivery of services to Irish emigrants.
Following increases in funding, the programme has expanded to include a number of capital projects, as well as culture and heritage projects that support community networks and build on the interest of citizens abroad in their Irish heritage.
In general, recipients of Emigrant Services funding are Irish community organisations who have a functioning board of management, show clear objectives and have an accounting framework in place. The payment of grants to individual Irish citizens’ resident abroad is beyond the remit of the Irish Abroad Unit.
External links
- http://www.dfa.ie Department of Foreign Affairs
- http://www.ean.ie Emigrant Advice Network
- http://www.irishsocieties.org Federation of Irish Societies, Great Britain
- http://www.ciic-usa.org Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, USA