More funds urged for Irish emigrants

JUST a fraction of the money needed to help elderly Irish emigrants in the US and Britain will be provided by the Government this year, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.

Despite the fact that a Government task force recommended that €18 million be allocated to the cause of emigrants abroad, officials told the Foreign Affair Committee that this year's allocation was just over €4m.

This failure of the Government to allocate further funding was criticised by all Committee members, with chairman Michael Woods demanding an increase in funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs.