By Debbie McGoldrick

THE Irish government has greatly increased its financial commitment to immigrant advice groups operating throughout the U.S., a move Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen calls “concrete evidence that we’re taking the agenda seriously.” Cowen was in New York last week to announce the annual government grants for U.S.-based Irish immigrant groups. The total for the coming year, $607,000, is 70.5% greater than last year’s allocation, and was split among 12 groups.

New York groups on the receiving end of Irish government grants are the Emerald Isle Immigration Center ($95,000), Project Irish Outreach ($75,000) and the Aisling Irish Center ($60,000). In Boston, the Irish Pastoral Center and the Irish Immigration Center were each allocated $86,000, while the Irish Immigration and Pastoral Center in Philadelphia received $60,000. Centers in Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Ocean City were also singled out for grants.

“We want to increase our commitment, not just financially but systemically,” Cowen said during a press briefing at the Irish Consulate in New York last Wednesday. 

“It’s the beginning of the response of the administration to look at the emigrant issue in a fresh way, not just in terms of the traditional connection we’ve made since 1990 where the government has provided funding which augments local voluntary funding for emigrant groups, but also to see in what way we can promote Ireland abroad.”

Cowen also discussed the new Irish Abroad Unit, which was created earlier this year by the Irish government. The unit, a division of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, is headed by Sean Farrell, who was formerly Ireland’s ambassador to Estonia. 

“The unit will coordinate the provision of assistance to our emigrants and will work closely with our embassies and consulates and all those engaged in the collective effort to develop services for and to respond effectively to the requirements of our emigrants,” Cowen said.

Though the Irish Embassy in Washington, D.C. will still act as Ireland’s top lobbyist on the issue of U.S. immigration reform, the unit will be kept abreast of developments on that front, Cowen said.

“It will help us in the preparation of the case we would make,” he said. “Half of its job will be to be au fait with those issues, to work with people here, but primarily, lobbying is a matter of the ambassador of the embassy.”

After the U.S. presidential election, Cowen stated that the Irish government would once again do its part to promote immigration legislation which would be beneficial to the Irish. 

“There have been ideas floated by members of both houses already, and we need to work with them,” he said. “I’m not saying we’re going to come with the blueprint. We’re going to explore with the people who matter, senators and (representatives), what is the best way forward.”

During his time in New York, Cowen also attended a series of meetings at the United Nations as part of UN Week. He then traveled to Boston to receive the Solas award granted by the Irish Immigration Center at its annual fundraising dinner. Senator Edward Kennedy was on hand to present the honor to Cowen.