Global Irish Newsletter 30 November 2020 - a Message from Minister Brophy
News
01 December 2020
I am delighted to be able to announce to you that the Government has approved a new Diaspora Strategy for the period 2020-2025. The Strategy sets out what the Government will do over the next five years to support and engage with you, our diaspora communities around the world. This is very much a national strategy, supported across Government.
The new strategy sets out fundamental principles.
- It prioritises the welfare of our most vulnerable and marginalised emigrants, through the Emigrant Support Programme;
- it commits the Government to holding a referendum on voting rights for citizens outside the State in Presidential elections;
- it will develop educational and work opportunities in Ireland for members of third- and fourth-generation Irish diaspora; and
- it will address barriers facing returning emigrants.
The Strategy adopts a broad and inclusive definition of the diaspora to reflect the diversity of today’s Global Irish communities. It includes Irish people and people of Irish descent, as well as our reverse diaspora, people who may have lived in Ireland for a period but who have now returned to their home countries and want to keep the connection with Ireland. It commits us to reach out to people who may have left Ireland in crisis or who felt excluded from Irish society.
Our first priority always will be the welfare of our people abroad. Irish community-based organisations play a vital role in helping vulnerable Irish emigrants and, as Minister for the Diaspora, I and my Department as well as our mission network, will continue to support their work through the Emigrant Support Programme.
Just as Ireland is changing, so too is the experience of emigration. Young people will still go abroad but, when they want to come home, we want to make that an easy process.
Ireland is today a more diverse and multicultural country and that is reflected in our diaspora. This is something we value and will celebrate.
I welcome this ambitious mandate to build a stronger and closer relationship between Ireland and the Irish around the world. I know that there is much work to be done to implement it, but I am certain that the deep bonds between Ireland and our Diaspora will be central to our success in reaching these goals.
You can read the full text of the new Diaspora Strategy here.
