Support services aiding Irish emigrants in Britain, Australia and Canada will benefit from grants of over €600,000, it was confirmed today.
Funding for emigrant services is expected to reach €12 million during 2006 - an increase of 45 per cent on 2005.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, said a grant was being provided for the first time to a group in Canada to support elderly Irish citizens living in Toronto.
"I am delighted that increased financial support has also been made available to groups in the US and Australia that support our communities there," he said, adding grants of over €750,000 were given to support groups in the US last September.
"These organisations provide invaluable support to our community there, in particular to the undocumented. Today's announcement includes funding to groups in Australia which is 65 per cent greater than the amount that they received last year."
The majority of the €8.273m spent on emigrant services funding during 2005 went towards supporting services for Irish emigrants in Britain.
"In 2006 I look forward to increasing our support for the critical work of those groups in the voluntary sector that reach out to the more vulnerable members of our community abroad," Mr Ahern said.
Around €14,500 was given to the Emerald Isle Senior's Society in Toronto while over €80,000 was split between the Australian Irish Welfare Bureau in Sydney and in Melbourne.
The funding is used to support the delivery of advice and information to Irish emigrants by a range of community care organisations.
Some of the groups to benefit in Britain included adolescent centres, advisory services, elderly support services, homeless groups, GAA organisations, day care centres and traveller outreach groups.
A dedicated section, the Irish Abroad Unit, was established within the Department of Foreign Affairs last year to aid the care of emigrants.