More funding for Irish emigrant organisations in the US is crucial in the wake of the September 11th attacks, according to one of the associations.
Ms Ann-Marie Scanlon, executive director of the Emerald Isle Immigration Centre in New York, said funding was always an issue but, following the attacks in New York and Washington, it had become a "huge issue".
Ms Scanlon was responding to the publication of the Task Force report on emigration and welcomed the recommendations, one of which proposed that State funding for emigrant services should increase to €34 million by 2005 from the current figure of €2.7 million.
The Emerald centre and other organisations had major funding difficulties, she said. The centre, which advises on immigration, education and employment issues, has received about 35 per cent of its funding from the New York City government and around 12 per cent from the Irish Government.
She said a lot of government funding in the US had been diverted to September 11th projects. The city now had a deficit of $5 billion and a budget crisis.
In addition "the fact that the September 11th hijackers were immigrants has meant that the word immigrant has become such a loaded word". Anything linked to immigrants was not well received. In addition, she said, there was a backlash against funding of immigrant organisations by the corporate sector, which was still reeling from the effects of the attacks.
Ms Scanlon expressed concern that the Government might not implement the recommendations of the report because of cutbacks.
Project Irish Outreach, a division of the New York Archdiocese Catholic Charities organisation, also highlighted the importance of funding.
"We are pleased the task force highlights the need for extra funding for emigrants abroad," said Ms Patricia O'Callaghan. "Local non-profit and charitable services providers have covered most of the costs of caring for Irish emigrants in need for the past 15 years."
