Written answer
Diaspora Issues
Ireland’s third Diaspora Strategy includes 23 commitments, local-authority engagement workshops and support for Galway projects, alongside diplomatic backing for regional diaspora and trade links.
48. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures her Department is taking to strengthen engagement between the Irish diaspora and regional communities such as Galway; and the way in which the Government is supporting regions to use their international and diaspora connections to generate economic, cultural and community opportunities. [67437/26]
Comment on this
I launched Ireland’s third Diaspora Strategy at the Global Irish Civic Forum on the 30th of April, delivering on the commitment set out in the Programme for Government.
In developing our new strategy, I led the largest ever consultation with the Irish abroad, including over 27 in-person meetings worldwide including one in Galway. We also hosted the first ever online consultation, the Global Irish Survey, which ran throughout the summer of 2025.
The outcome of this extensive consultation process is a strategy that sets out 23 commitments built around the challenges and opportunities that were shared with us. Our strategy has been warmly welcomed by Irish communities overseas.
The strategy includes a specific commitment to deliver workshops for local authorities interested in developing diaspora engagement strategies. Work on delivering this will commence shortly.
Recognising the strong interest among the diaspora in the Irish language, the strategy also commits supporting Udaras na Gaeltachta in the implementation of their own diaspora strategy
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through the Emigrant Support Programme, also supports organisations based in Ireland who work with the Irish diaspora including NGOs who support returning Irish Emigrants. In 2026, we funded two Galway based projects. Ireland Reaching Out based in Loughrea received a grant of €55,000 for a Diaspora Engagement & Community Links Project and an allocation of over €41,000 was awarded to the University of Galway Foundation for their project Irish Emigrant Letters and Life Stories from North America, c. 1660–1960.
Our embassy and consulate network also engage with visits and trade missions from representatives of regional communities such as the recent visit to Chicago and Milwaukee by the Mayor of Galway, Helen Ogbu, which was supported by Consulate General in Chicago.