Bishop seeks support agency for emigrants in Britain

BISHOP of Derry, Seamus Hegarty, has called on the Government to urgently establish a support agency for the Irish in Britain, many of whom suffer the effects of poverty, depression and alcoholism.

Bishop Hegarty was responding to the findings of an RTÉ Prime Time documentary ‘Ireland’s Forgotten Generation’ which last night highlighted the poverty and depressing conditions that many post-war Irish emigrants to London continue to endure to this day.

“Ireland must give more than lip-service to our emigrants, they must feel supported. As emigration touches every Irish family, political will is now needed for results,” he said.

Bishop Hegarty, who chairs the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants (IECE) said: “The reporting of the Task Force on Emigration in mid-2002 offered hope to emigrants and those working with Irish communities across the world.

“However, the implementation of the report’s recommendations has been slow.

“For example, the recent budgetary provision of €1 million for emigrant services falls far short of the €18m advised in the original Task Force recommendations,” Bishop Hegarty said.

The Irish Chaplaincy in Camden, based in the Irish Centre, which is jointly operated by the IECE and Westminster Archdiocese, has lobbied for many years on behalf of the vulnerable and marginalised Irish in London and assists in providing accommodation, meal services and counselling, he said.

The findings of the Prime Time programme mirrored the research and experiences of the Irish chaplaincy, these included an alarming rate of mental illness among the Irish who also had the highest mortality rates of all ethnic groups in Britain.

There was also an above average suicide rate compared to other ethnic minorities and high levels of alcohol abuse.

Bishop Hegarty calls for the establishment of an agency for the Irish abroad to co-ordinate services.