The Labour Party has promised to provide free access to RTÉ, TG4 and TV3 for Irish emigrants in the UK if elected to government. It will also extend free travel to Irish pensioners in the UK when visiting this country.
It has also promised the €34 million estimated as necessary to fund recommendations of the 2002 Ireland and the Irish Abroad: Report of the Task Force on Policy regarding Emigrants. Labour whip Emmet Stagg yesterday called on relatives of the Irish abroad to support Labour candidates in the next general election "to ensure these matters at least are attended to".
The Government established the task force in December 2001 to address the needs of marginalised Irish emigrants. Its report recommended a dramatic increase in the level of funding for emigrant services.
In November, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Noel Treacy told the Dáil the 2004 allocation for emigrants abroad was €8.267 million. This was double the 2003 figure.
