In an historic development for citizens overseas, this week the Government published the first State commissioned plan for diaspora policy. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Joan Burton, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan and Minister of State for Diaspora Affairs Jimmy Deenihan spoke at the launch of Global Irish: Ireland's Diaspora Policy to acknowledge the importance of the Irish abroad to the economy and the nation.
Refreshingly, Enda Kenny also acknowledged economic crisis as a major factor in the large numbers of Irish people moving abroad in recent years, noting that “for many [IT]was not considered a matter of choice”.
Political discourse in response to mass emigration has often been at odds with public sentiment, framing departure as a lifestyle choice, where trends would suggest it is actually linked to high youth unemployment and austerity cuts. The publication of this document, and the comments made by the politicians at the launch, mark a welcome change from that rhetoric, and a step forward for Ireland’s relationship with the Irish abroad.
As outlined in the policy document, the strategy for diaspora engagement over the coming years includes serious commitments to prioritise welfare funding for vulnerable members of the community abroad, create a “Global Irish Hub” advice service and open “better two-way communication with recent emigrants”.
Disappointingly, emigrant voting rights do not feature as a policy item. Initially, it had been hoped Mr Deenihan’s own proposals in favour of extending the franchise overseas as Minister for Diaspora Affairs was a sign heralding Government action.
Public support on this issue is at an all time high. Research by the Émigré project in University College Cork in 2013 showed 85 per cent of recent emigrants and 79 per cent of Irish householders were in favour of reform. The desire for a voice back home was explicitly described as the first priority to emerge from public consultation in a foreign policy review published earlier this year.
Government recognises “the issue of voting rights is of enormous importance to many Irish citizens abroad” in its new diaspora policy statement but has nevertheless assigned it to the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government for further “policy, legal and practical” analysis. In the interim, a Global Irish Civic Forum has been scheduled for the first week of June this year. The Forum could potentially provide a provisional outlet for the views of the overseas community, but should not be envisaged by the State as a substitute for democratically elected representation.
Yet even given elements of political conservatism, Global Irish is the most ambitious government document on diaspora engagement since the 2002 Taskforce Report on Ireland and the Irish Abroad. The programme incorporates policy commitments to continue funding for the Emigrant Support Programme, and for new advisory services, specially dedicated diaspora research, and global Irish media coverage.
It also aims to better structure overseas relations at the local county level and develop new channels of communication, including an “All about Jobs” newsletter. An interdepartmental committee chaired by the Minister for Diaspora Affairs is tasked with ensuring these goals are reached.
This last measure is of particular importance. Fine Gael and Labour have made progressive policy statements to citizens overseas before, which were later reneged on in Government. More recently, Government has come under fire for failing to follow through on the 2011 initiative of a Constitutional Convention- the vast majority of the 38 proposals for democratic reform made by this assembly were ignored.
Should yesterday’s policy document prove to be similarly more symbol than substance, both parties risk being completely swamped by voter cynicism. However, should they succeed in making serious headway along the lines mapped out before the general elections, it might count as reparation for the toll emigration has taken on this country in the last four years.
