Deputy Doherty with Irish children in Perth, Australia during a visit.
Deputy Pearse Doherty has hit out at successive Governments over their treatment of the Irish living abroad, saying that the welfare of the diaspora continues to be shamefully ignored.
The Sinn Fein TD made the comments following responses he has received from the Minister for Foreign Affairs in relation to government efforts to tackle the on-going plight of undocumented citizens living abroad and figures provided to him from the Department concerning funding levels allocated to support Irish emigrants overseas.
Deputy Doherty said before Christmas recess he decided to highlight in the Dáil the continuing difficulties faced by our undocumented citizens scattered across the globe.
“I asked the Minister to give details of the efforts made by the government to negotiate a dedicated visa waiver programme for Irish migrants living illegally in the US.
“The Minister responded to state that while achieving relief for the undocumented was, as he claims ‘a priority’ for his government, he admitted that representations to the US authorities on the matter had not resulted in a ‘more encouraging outcome’ and, in essence, the Minister failed to give evidence of any progress having been made to improve the status of Irish emigrants living illegally there.
“And while the plight of the undocumented living in the US has been around for a long time now, it’s clear that a whole new wave of undocumented citizens is brewing on the horizon as has been highlighted recently by the growing number of Irish citizens being deported from Australia for having overstayed their temporary visas.”
He added that the assistance which has been provided by the government to the now large Irish community residing in Australia has also been extremely piecemeal.
“If we look at recent data from the United Nations it’s estimated that there are 77,513 Irish born citizens who are today living in Australia, while temporary entrants to the country from Ireland reached 27,140 in 2014 according to the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
“Despite these huge numbers, the government still only gave a meagre €401,362 in funding to non-profit organisations and projects aimed at supporting Irish communities living in Australia in 2014 via the Emigrant Support Programme, an initiative created to develop links between Ireland and the global Irish community.
“In fact, if we look at the total funding which is to be provided to the diaspora through the ESP fund for 2016, it’s still 23% lower than it was back in 2008 despite the Minister in the Dáil boasting of how funding for the diaspora has been increased compared with previous years.”
“It’s a shameful indictment of government attitudes towards the Irish overseas community and particularly to all those organisations which for years now have continued to provide support and assistance to our citizens abroad.
“There have also been repeated calls made by Irish emigrant groups for voting rights to be granted to citizens overseas and yet today, even in spite of the Constitutional Convention recommending as far back as 2013 that voting rights in Presidential elections should be extended to citizens living in the north and abroad, the diaspora remain without a voice in our democracy.”
“I myself was privileged to have had the opportunity a few years ago as a Public Representative to visit Australia where I heard first hand from Irish emigrants about the desire to be given the right to vote in elections back home in Ireland.
“During my trip I met with Irish communities in cities such as Perth, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, and I spoke with a number of local politicians, trade unionists as well as Irish organisations about the important role played by the global Irish.
“I was greatly impressed with the many young Irish people I met whilst visiting the country who themselves had only recently arrived in Australia to look for work, sadly having been forced to leave our island due to the failed economic policies implemented by successive governments at home.
“Given the harrowing experiences faced by our undocumented and their families living illegally in the US down through the years, it’s imperative that this government does not make the same mistakes by failing to adequately lobby for the welfare and fair treatment of Irish citizens who’ve recently left our shores in search of work.
“This is why I intend to raise the growing number of Irish people who’ve been removed from Australia and other destinations abroad with the Minister in the coming days where I’ll be urging that he does everything possible to ensure that the failings of the past are not replicated and that our newly broadened diaspora, wherever it is they should now call home, do not have to endure the same anxiety and anguish as those who’ve gone before them and who’ve left such a positive impression of Ireland on the world stage.”
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