Irish government increases funding for immigrant-aid groups

By Patrick Markey

Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs met with immigration groups last week to announce an increase in the government’s funding to Irish support centers in the United States.

Speaking before a reception at the Irish Consulate in New York, David Andrews said the government appreciated its "partnership" with the network of Irish immigration groups, which provided a practical expression of the government’s support.

"The job of the agencies is more diverse in a sense because the difficulties they are facing are case specific and that makes their job even harder," Andrews said.

Government funding in 1999 for 13 U.S.-based organizations totaled $300,000, an increase from $253,000 last year. The Irish government has allocated almost $2.5 million to Irish immigration centers since the support funding began in 1990.

Organizations who received funding included: In New York — Project Irish Outreach ($65,000), Emerald Isle Immigration Center (65,000), Irish Services ($10,000); in Boston, Irish Pastoral Center (50,500), Irish Immigration Center (44,000); in Chicago — Chicago Irish Immigration Support (7,000), Irish American Alliance (1,500); in San Francisco — CARA ($8,000), Irish Immigration Pastoral Center ($17,500); in Los Angeles — Southern California Irish Network ($1,500); in Philadelphia — Philadelphia Immigration Resource Center ($21,000), and in Washington, D.C. — Failte ($7,000) and the Irish Apostolate ($2,000).