The Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, announced £500,000 sterling to more than 30 charities at the Irish Embassy in London yesterday.
The range of projects to benefit from the Dion grants - Government funding for emigrants - includes support for Irish pensioners, the unemployed, prisoners and the homeless.
Four new charities in Britain received a total of £26,500 sterling from the Dion this year. The projects include a home for the homeless in Leeds and salaries for welfare advice workers.