More Government cash for mission groups

The Government is to provide more funding for Ireland’s overseas missionaries.

Junior foreign minister Liz O’Donnell said today that missionary groups were to get an extra £300,000, boosting to £2.2m the amount of exchequer funding being allocated to them this year.

Ms O’Donnell made the announcement at the start of a festival in Dublin to mark the contribution of Ireland to the developing world.

She said ‘‘The Government is acutely aware of the importance of the development work of Irish missionaries.

‘‘In the course of this work, the men and women of the missionary orders have made immense personal sacrifices, sometimes losing their lives in the course of their work.’’

The minister highlighted the murder of Columban priest Fr Rufus Halley in the Philippines two months ago, and added: ‘‘The provision of these additional funds is a concrete reflection of the value which the Government places on the immensely positive contribution that Irish missionary orders have made to the developing world over very many years.’’