I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 160 together. I thank the Deputies for raising this question. As they know, the Government is committed to deepening our ties with the Irish communities overseas and to ensuring that the welfare of the Irish abroad remains at the heart of our diaspora engagement. In line with the commitment in the programme for Government, the next diaspora strategy is at an advanced stage of drafting and will be published in late April, to coincide with the next global Irish civic forum that will take place on 30 April and 1 May in Croke Park. This strategy will be the third of its kind and was drafted following a wide-ranging consultation process that engaged Irish community, welfare and cultural organisations, as well as business social networks across 28 cities in 19 countries, including formal diaspora consultations in Britain, the United States, Canada and Europe, as well as in the UAE, Australia, Argentina, Singapore and Kenya. I also met with Irish stakeholders in Dublin and Galway as well as a very productive meeting with Oireachtas Members in Iveagh House last June. Further meetings were also held with relevant Departments and State agencies. These engagements were supplemented by the global Irish survey, the first ever online survey of the Irish abroad, which I launched last July and was available for several weeks throughout the summer of 2025. This survey was open to individuals and organisations and received over 10,000 responses. Respondents also had the option to submit position papers, of which over 40 were received. While work on finalising the strategy is ongoing, the well-being of the most vulnerable of our diaspora remains a key focus for us. I am also committed to enhancing our outreach to the next generations of the diaspora, strengthening our networks across the globe in order to embrace the experiences and perspectives of the Irish abroad, and supporting those who wish to return to Ireland. I can confirm that the emigrant support programme, ESP, will remain the primary vehicle to manage the Government’s commitments to our diaspora in the next strategy. As this House will be aware, since its establishment in 2004, the ESP has assisted more than 900 charitable and Irish community organisations in 53 countries with over €265 million in grants. The majority of this funding, some 60%, is granted to front-line welfare service providers working with elderly Irish emigrants and other vulnerable members of our communities. These organisations working closely with our embassies and consulates, particularly in Great Britain, the US, Canada and Australia, provide crucial support, often at times of crisis, in areas such as elders lunch clubs, advisory, counselling, mental health support, advocacy, information and outreach services for our citizens abroad, including on immigration matters and status. This work is vital, particularly for those from marginalised backgrounds and those with complex needs. The 2026 budget for the programme is €17.5 million, which is the highest amount committed to date. I look forward to publishing the strategy in the coming weeks and ensuring Ireland continues its broad and inclusive engagement with our diaspora over the next five years.

Sentiment score: 0.34

I thank the three Deputies for their supplementaries and I will try to rattle through them as quickly as possible. Regarding the emigrant support programme, as I laid out, this year the budget will be €17.5 million. That is the biggest it has ever been. Part of that is to reflect inflationary costs on certain areas but there is always increased demand and need for the services provided. Deputy McCarthy rightly cited the economic opportunities of EU-Australia trade deal, as was laid out by Deputy McCormack as well. Just this year, the Government has opened a consulate in Melbourne to complement the consulate in Sydney and the embassy in Canberra, while Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland have also expanded their teams. That is just in Australia, but around the world we see increasing economic opportunities through our diaspora. It is something I hope the new strategy will have a very distinct emphasis on, particularly in the United States where about 36 million people claim Irish ancestry, be Irish, Ulster-Scots, or Scots-Irish. That is why the Government launched a strong programme marking the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, which was signed by many Irish people and has a strong connection to Ireland, both for the cultural and political ties but also the tourism and business ties. Deputy Neville and I are two of the biggest fans of American football in the House. We see the power of the college football classic every August in Dublin as it brings €130 million into the economy. Equally, with the NFL, we see the opportunities there in terms of sports diplomacy. In response to Deputy Ó Fearghaíl's question, the Government has laid out a number of programmes, not necessarily though the Department, looking to attract some of our highly skilled emigrants back home from places like Australia, Canada but also the Middle East. There are a number of obstacles that we will cite in the strategy or that we will look to overcome. We hope to conclude a reciprocal driving rights arrangement with the state of New York in the coming months, which will complement arrangements with Canada and Australia. We will also be looking at areas in terms of recognising qualifications and experience gained. Insurance companies are now quoting Irish people who have been driving abroad. We also have banks giving specific packages and programmes. I will elaborate in due course.

Sentiment score: 0.27

Regarding the references to sport more generally, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, launched the latest iteration of the sport diplomacy strategy in Boston at the famous Fenway Park. This is a key policy provision not just for the Department of sport, but also for the Department of foreign affairs, because sport brings people together here and abroad. We often see the real economic opportunities associated with the College Football Classic and the NFL coming to Ireland, but we also see where that ties in with tourism and higher education opportunities. There are great opportunities for Irish third level institutions to partner with American institutions for investment and research. At the heart of our sports diplomacy policy is, of course, the global games development programme, which we support with a direct grant, parallel to the emigrant support programme, of about €7 million per annum to the GAA. That money supports staff, training and governance in GAA clubs around the world. In February, I met the Simba Wolfhounds GAA Club in Uganda, which was set up by a Galway man who works with young children in very deprived areas. I have met GAA clubs in Coventry, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, New York and Pittsburgh, but there are also other sports as well. I would have played for the Toronto Irish rugby club and the Brussels Celtic rugby club. These are all a part of this as well. GAA is very much at the heart and soul of this. When we look at both participatory and elite level sports, we see Irish people who have had to go abroad, perhaps to play Premier League football, like those currently in Prague, while others are at the highest level of collegiate athletics in the United States. Eamonn Coghlan, a former colleague of ours in these Houses, made his name in the United States and was able to represent the Irish abroad multi-generationally at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships. To conclude, any visit to Midleton is a good visit. I would be more than happy to join Deputy McCarthy and Councillor Cocking. The tie between the people of Ireland and the Choctaw Nation is something we cannot stop reminding people about. It is very important and historic.

Sentiment score: 0.37