US-based Irish Immigration Organisations Receive EUR2M Funding

Ireland (SANEPR.com) January 5, 2009 -- Minister of State Killeen explained that the funding would help provide vital frontline support, community development and advisory services to thousands of Irish emigrants, many of whom are from County Clare.

‘This latest round of funding brings the grants total for all Irish immigration and community organisations in the United States in the last 12 months to over USD5m. These grants reflect the Government’s continuing commitment to Irish communities abroad, particularly to supporting the vulnerable members of our community in the US’, he stated.

Minister Killeen continued, ‘The organisations in receipt of funding are to the forefront in providing essential frontline services to Irish communities across the US, particularly to the elderly and those in need. They also work with the undocumented Irish, whose status remains an issue of the highest priority for me and one that I have raised at Government level both in Ireland and the US.’

Since the establishment of the Irish Abroad Unit in 2004, the Department of Foreign Affairs has allocated more than USD9 million to the Irish Community Centres and Organisations in the United States.

Table 1: US Grants Announced by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin, T.D

US Capital Projects USD
JFK Presidential Library and Museum, Boston 1,000,000
San Francisco GAA Facilities 500,000
Chicago Gaelic Park 250,000
Rockland County GAA 200,000
Irish Americans in Government, New York 20,000

US Emigrant Services Projects
New York Irish Centre 80,000
Ancient Order of Hibernians 20,000
Aisling Irish Centre, New York 20,000
Senior Helpline Project, New York 15,000

In addition to these capital and frontline services announcements, the Minister for Foreign Affairs also announced a grant for the refurbishment of a 1916 Easter Rising monument in Long Island and the payment of the $1million balance of an allocation of $2 million to the Kennedy library in Boston.

-ENDS-

Mark Dunphy
Dunphy Public Relations
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