Tánaiste Announces 1999 Díon Grants Allocations in London IR£715,000 for Irish emigrant groups in Britain

At a reception to mark the allocation of Díon grants for 1999 at the Irish Embassy in London on Wednesday 16th June, hosted by Ambassador Ted Barrington, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney, T.D., announced grants amounting to IR£715,000 to Irish welfare and advice organisations in Britain.

The total Díon grant allocation has been increased by the Irish Government this year to IR£750,000. A total of 37 welfare and advice agencies working with vulnerable and at risk members of the Irish community in Britain will benefit from the grants announced by the Tánaiste. The remainder of the fund will be allocated later in the year.

Representatives of the successful grant recipient organisations were present at the reception, along with Lord Mayors in the relevant boroughs, representatives of the statutory sectors, and other voluntary organisations.

Announcing this year's grants allocations, the Tánaiste said that she was "very pleased that the Irish Government was in a position to increase the Díon grant allocation this year by IR£137,000 to IR£750,000 in order to help bring about an improvement in the provision of services for older Irish emigrants and travellers in Britain".

The Tánaiste thanked the members of the Dion for the dedicated work they had done over the past year. In particular she thanked the Dion Chair Leo Sheedy who was returning to Dublin after a four year position at the London Embassy. The Tánaiste announced that Mr. Sheedy would be replaced by Ms. Máire McCluskey in London from September and she wished the incoming Chair of Dion, who attended today's function, every success in her new role.

The Tánaiste announced grants for six new Irish elders projects and three new Irish travellers projects. Grants to new elders projects include:

The grant for the RehabCare Coventry project is intended to complement funding from Coventry City Council, and to assist in the development of a proposed new resource centre for the personal and independent living skills development of Irish elderly in Coventry. This follows new research findings published earlier this year by RehabCare highlighting fresh concerns over the circumstances of Irish elderly in the city.

Grants to new Irish travellers projects have been made to:

The Tánaiste said that she hoped that additional grant assistance can be made later in the year to the new Irish Travellers Movement when further progress has been made on its development. She expressed the hope that a grant for an appropriate research project can also be made.

The remainder of the grants allocations have been provided as contributions to the salaries of front-line advice workers who provide assistance and information on employment, access to benefits entitlements, housing and accommodation, and health, to Irish people who need this kind of assistance. Further grants have been made to second-tier agencies in the case of funding for the post of the community care development coordinator with the Federation of Irish Societies and workers at the Action Group for Irish Youth.

While in London the Tánaiste took the opportunity of speaking with members of the Foreign Press Association in London where she briefed them on a range of Irish issues.

The Tanaiste also visited the Haringey Irish Community Care Centre in north London to meet members of the management committee and staff at the organisation, and to see at first hand an example of how effectively the Díon grants allocations are being used by front-line advice agencies. The Tánaiste said that she was very impressed by the work carried out by Haringey Irish Community Care Centre on behalf of needy Irish people in the borough of Haringey and wished them continuing success in the future.