Éan working to ensure radio included in broadcasting legislation
Friday, February 9th, 2007Éan has been working to ensure that Irish radio broadcasts will be available to Irish communities in Europe as part of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006. The original bill as it was introduced in the Seanad made provision for television broadcasting, but not radio. Ean and Éan member Enda O’Kane worked to contact senators to explain the importance of radio to Irish communities abroad, and, in particular, the value of DRM digital shortwave. A number of amendments have now been added to the bill to include radio.
The relevant Seanad discussions are on the Seanad website.
January 31 debate
February 7 debate
Another bill is looking at the overall issue of broadcasting – Enda and Éan worked to contact a number of groups and individuals to make contributions during the discussion period at econsultation.ie. To see these contributions, visit the econsultation.ie website.
US immigrants face application fee hikes
Friday, February 2nd, 2007U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services this week announced proposals for major hikes in application fees. The increases, in some cases amounting to 500%, are expected to go through in June.
The proposed application fee increases include:
– $905 for a green card application; thecurrent fee is $325.
– $1,370 for adjustment of status from temporary to lawful permanent resident, up from $180.
– $340 for work authorization, up from $180.
– $595 for naturalized citizenship, up from $330.
– $290 to replace a lost or stolen green card, up from $190.
“We’re confident that this fee adjustment will enable the type of exceptional immigration service our nation expects and deserves,” said a statement from USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez on Wednesday.
Immigration advocates, however, say the price hikes will pose a significant obstacle for many immigrants.
The proposals are subject to a public comment period; to comment, visit www.regulations.gov; use the “agency� box to click on “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services� and hit “submit�. You will then be shown the document, “Adjustment of the Immigration and Naturalization Benefit Application and Petition Fee Schedule�. Click on the “Docket ID� to read the comments submitted, and “Document ID� for instructions on making a comment.
Irish Abroad Unit outlines its work
Monday, January 29th, 2007The Irish Abroad Unit updated the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs about their work and the current status of Irish emigrants earlier this month. Their update focused on the achievements of 2006 and their plans for 2007.
Ray Bassett of the Unit spoke of the possibility that immigration reform could be passed by the US Congress in September or October, but warned of the importance of caution in these matters. He paid tribute to the work of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, and said that the Irish presence has been helpful as part of the wider campaign for immigration reform aimed at the wider group of undocumented immigrants in the US.
Mr Bassett also spoke of the improvements in the status of Irish emigrants in Britain with €40 million spent since 1984, 80% of that since 2000. The Simon Community credits increased funding for the fall in the number of Irish homeless from 600 to 100 since 1999.
He spoke of establishing good links with the GAA, referring to its ability to bring community together as “sport plus social inclusion�. He also spoke of how the Unit has extended funding to Australia, Canada and Argentina, as well as South Africa and Zimbabwe. The Unit has been given €15.1 million for funding next year, an increase of €3 million.
During the question period, Mr Bassett responded to the issue of free travel and broadcasting to emigrants by saying:
On issues such as RTE, free travel, etc., the Government is in favour. It is a question of how we proceed from here. We have extended the centenarian’s bounty outside the State for those who reach 100 years of age. It will take imaginative thinking to get around some of the obstacles, but we are committed to work with the relevant Departments to assist these people. There is a political and administrative will to do it, but we need the mechanisms to get there.
The update sparked a wide-ranging discussion on the status of the Irish around the world. Senators raised such issues as the special problems of Argentinians who feel a very strong link with Ireland and who would like to get citizenship, but who are too many generations removed under the current system. Senator David Norris spoke of a letter he had received from a young Irish man living in Paris who felt rejected by Ireland because he could not vote here. Senator Paschal Mooney raised the issue of differences between the professional Irish of the more recent generation of emigrants and the traditional Irish emigrants; he suggested there might be some sort of structure developed that would encourage the professional Irish to get involved with those from previous generations.
For the full transcript, see the Oireachtas website.
Sligo County Council says returning emigrants have right to build homes
Monday, January 29th, 2007The Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council has told the Sligo Association in London that the county is helping to bring emigrants home, according to a story in the Sligo Weekender.
Councillor Jim McGarry said, “From Sligo County Council’s perspective, I am pleased that the status of returning emigrants has been actively promoted in our County Development Plan. This plan outlines an explicit entitlement for returning emigrants to build their homes in their native community, and I feel this is a right that is fully deserved�.
He also praised the volunteers working with the emigrant community: “I have the highest regard for the many volunteers who give of their time and energy to assist our people in London.�
See the report on the Sligo Weekender website.
http://www.sligoweekender.ie/news/story.asp?j=31409&cat=business
Leeds report highlights needs of homeless
Monday, January 29th, 2007The Leeds Irish Health and Homes group has recently published a report on homeless Irish people called “Gan Didean� (“Without a Place to Stay�). The report highlights the importance of cultural awareness in service provision and makes a number of recommendations. These include:
– Consultation with Irish organisations in the planning stages of initiatives to deal with homelessness.
– Better ethnic monitoring to provide data for improvements in service provision.
– The inclusion of Irish ethnicity in diversity-training curricula
– Action plans by statutory authorities for culturally sensitive services to the Irish community
– Consultation with Irish organisations by statutory organisations to provide support
– Provision of culturally specific supported housing and care for Irish people.
The report also includes an overview of the work of LIHH and several case studies. It is available through LIHH at http://www.lihh.org.
Kenny invokes emigrant heritage in immigrant speech
Wednesday, January 24th, 2007Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has stirred some controversy with a speech about immigration.
Mr Kenny invoked Ireland’s emigrant heritage in his speech, directed at a meeting of the party and its new general election candidates. He said,
We live in a country that exported our people, not by the boatload, or by the planeload, but by the generation.
We live in a country where hundreds of thousands of families lived for the postal order that put food on the table and clothes on their backs thanks to a father and often his sons slaving on the building sites of London and New York and San Francisco.
So it’s safe to say that we live in a country where you’d have to have a very small mind, a very short memory and a very hard heart not to welcome the stranger who is trying to make a better life, a more hopeful life for themselves and their families.
Mr Kenny went on to call for a debate on immigration, saying that “I believe that immigration and multiculturalism can be good for Ireland but the current system is not being managed well. We need a system that is good for the Irish and good for the immigrants.”
Mr Kenny added:
Fine Gael has three priorities to make immigration work for Ireland: Immigrants have rights and responsibilities. They should have the right to be free of discrimination and have their contribution to the country recognised, but they have the responsibility to integrate into our community, comply with our laws and respect our cultural traditions. I do not want to see a situation developing in which our immigrant population live separate lives. We have a responsibility to facilitate and encourage this integration.
Several commentators have picked up on the fact that Mr Kenny called the Irish a “Celtic and Christian people” and questioned whether these labels apply.
Read the speech on the Fine Gael website.
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