Grants Up for Grabs to Help Irish Emigrants
21 January 2014 at 10:03 am
The Irish Government has opened its 2014 grants round to Australian Not for Profits that provide advice and support services to the Irish community in Australia.
In 2013, the Emigrant Support Programme distributed $590,000 to 15 Australian organisations and in 2012 distributed $477,305 to 10 organisations.
In 2012-13, 139,092 people from Ireland came to Australia.
Globally in 2012 the Programme disbursed €11,455,364 (about $1.41 million) in grants which varied from more than €500,000 to some of the larger welfare organisations in the UK through to less than €500 to a small community project in Argentina.
Past Australian recipients included: Australia Irish Welfare Bureau, Melbourne; The Claddagh Association, Perth; Irish Australian Support Association of Queensland, Brisbane; Irish Australian Welfare Bureau & Resource Centre NSW, Sydney; John Hume Institute of Global Irish Studies, UNSW; and the Friends of St Brigid's Association, Koroit, Victoria.
According to the Irish Government, the Programme seeks to support the Irish community in Australia and to assist voluntary groups, which facilitate access to welfare and statutory services by members of the Irish community.
It says that services to older members of the Irish community remains a priority for the programme and it may also fund Irish community projects in the “heritage domain” that are aimed at creating practical results-oriented links between Ireland and the global Irish, and projects that support the outcomes of the Global Irish Economic Forum.
It also said limited funding may also be available for projects of a capital nature.
To find out more on the 2014 round of grants visit the the Emigrant Support Programme section of the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade; or by logging on to www.irishabroadgrants.ie.
The closing date for applications is February 19.
