The coffin of former finance minister Brian Lenihan is carried after his funeral mass at St Mochta's Church in Porterstown, Dublin yesterday. (Pic: Niall Carson/PA)

Former finance Minster Brian Lenihan was a patriot who dedicated his awesome courage and towering intellect to his country and family, his funeral has heard.

More than 1,000 mourners packed the small St Mochta’s Church, Porterstown, west Dublin, spilling out into the churchyard and along the country road outside to bid a final farewell to the renowned politician.

In a moving ceremony, marked by tradition, laughter, spontaneous applause and tears, the former Fianna Fáil Dublin West TD — who died last Friday aged 52 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer — was remembered as a great man cut down in the prime of his life.

Close friend and ex-Attorney General Paul Gallagher delivered an emotional eulogy, talking for almost 30 minutes about Mr Lenihan’s enormous bravery in the face of daunting crises in both his public and personal life.

“If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed such courage was possible, I would have thought it was fanciful, the thing of stories and not reality,” he said.

Mr Gallagher said quitting was never an option for his late friend, who he described as a master of all the talents, an inspiration to all, and a great patriot.

“He never flagged, he never gave up, he never hesitated, he never took a step backward and all the time he made it seem so easy to all of us, with his laughter, his brilliance, his magnanimity.”

The theme was reflected throughout the ceremony, from the opening hymn Be Not Afraid.

Another friend Rory Montgomery, Ireland’s ambassador to the EU, in a reading from St Paul to Timothy, echoed remarks by Mr Lenihan in one of his final interviews, in which he stated he had done everything in his power to stave off Ireland’s EU/IMF bailout.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” he quoted.

Such were the crowds flocking to the funeral service that a park and ride system was set up to take sympathisers to the church in shuttle buses from a nearby hotel.

Mr Lenihan’s wife Patricia, his teenage son and daughter, Tom and Claire, were applauded as they arrived shortly after 11am. His mother Anne was helped inside by Mr Lenihan’s brothers Conor and Niall, along with brother Paul, sister Anita and aunt Mary O’Rourke.

Well-known figures from politics, the law, industry and Irish society attended the service, including President Mary McAleese, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, the entire Cabinet and at least 20 clergymen — among them Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Raymond Field and Church Of Ireland Bishop of Cork Paul Colton, a former rector in Mr Lenihan’s constituency.

A large number of former top government and Fianna Fail party colleagues, including former taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, joined Northern Ireland’s deputy first Minster Martin McGuinness, Stormont finance minister Sammy Wilson and senior trade unionists at the funeral.

Draped in the Irish tricolour, Mr Lenihan’s coffin was adorned with a wooden cross, hewn from an olive tree from the Garden of Gethsemane, and a book of gospels.

Sympathisers continued to sign books of condolences in the churchyard, which had already collected almost 10,000 signatures at his constituency office in Castleknock. Fianna Fáil said another 25,000 people had signed an online book of condolences on the party’s website since Sunday.

Mr Gallagher said the former minister lived for politics, which “excited his every neuron, it permeated his every fibre” but he was also a devoted family man.

“There were three qualities that defined Brian and his public service: duty, honour and country,” he said.

“The other defining quality was his utter devotion to, and love for, his family.”

He said Tom and Claire had lost a wonderful father, whose intelligence meant they never needed to use the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.

In a lighter moment, he brought sustained applause and laughter to the congregation by remembering his former Cabinet colleague’s faults — taking other people’s biros and half-eaten biscuits during top-level government meetings.

:: Remembered by west Dublin constituents

Mr Gallagher said Mr Lenihan appreciated being asked to speak at the annual Michael Collins commemoration at Beal na mBláth, in Co Cork last year.

The invitation, traditionally reserved for his political rivals in Fine Gael, was a public acknowledgement of how he transcended politics, he said.

Ending the touching eulogy, Mr Gallagher paid tribute to Mr Lenihan by reading from the Roman poet Horace’s Odes.

“He fashioned a monument more lasting than bronze, a monument higher than the royal site of the pyramids, a monument that cannot be destroyed by the gnawing rain, by the unbridled north wind, by the immeasurable succession of years, by the flight of the ages,” he said.

“He will never wholly die, a good portion of his being will escape death. He will ever grow fresher in the praise of posterity. Farewell Brian.”

Fr Eugene Kennedy, a family friend and retired parish priest who celebrated the Mass, said the people of west Dublin would remember Mr Lenihan as someone who always cared for them, even when burdened by major national issues and his failing health.

The new Blanchardstown hospice, which he helped establish, would remain a monument to his work. “What a cruel irony that he was among its first homecare patients,” he added.

Crowds outside the church applauded again for several minutes as Mr Lenihan’s coffin was taken outside under military escort by the Defence Forces before a private burial at St David’s Church graveyard, Kilsallaghan.

Former Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, who died on Friday.

Ireland’s former finance minister Brian Lenihan has died after a long battle with cancer.

President Mary McAleese led tributes saying the death of such a young and talented politician was untimely while Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he exemplified public service.

Mr Lenihan, remembered as a decent man and a dedicated and extraordinary public servant, died at his home in west Dublin in the early hours of this morning.

He was 52.

“As minister for finance, Brian had to confront challenges, the scale and gravity of which were unprecedented in the history of the state,” the President said.

The Taoiseach said; “Throughout his political career, Brian Lenihan displayed huge commitment to public service and carried out his responsibilities with integrity and compassion.

“During his illness, which he fought with serenity, he courageously continued to fully perform his ministerial responsibilities in the most challenging and difficult circumstances.”

Mr Lenihan had been suffering from inoperable pancreatic cancer and underwent treatment while finance minister in 2009 and 2010. He always insisted it would not deflect from his work.

Political colleagues and opponents praised his intellect, strength and commitment to steering the economy through the deepest economic crisis in Irish history in the face of such personal trauma.

Mr Lenihan, from a staunch Fianna Fail dynasty, entered the Dail parliament in 1996 after winning the Dublin West seat left empty following the death of his father Brian, also a former minister. He retained that seat in the general election in February despite the ruinous collapse of his Fianna Fail party.

His aunt Mary O’Rourke, a former TD and senator, praised her nephew’s work in government.

“He always worked for his country and he worked for the best of Ireland – in the end what anybody in public life would wish to do, and that’s what he did,” she told RTE Radio.

“I just feel my life has almost ended,”

Funeral arrangements are to be announced later. Mr Lenihan is survived by his wife Patricia, his son Tom and daughter Claire as well as his mother Ann, brothers Conor, Niall and Paul, and his sister Anita.

His career in politics included roles as children’s minister in 2002, justice in 2007 and finance the following year.

While highly regarded for his capacity to grasp the complexities of the fiscal crisis, Mr Lenihan’s legacy will be tied to the September 2008 400 billion (about ¬£355 billion) euro bank guarantee struck in the middle of the night to protect Irish banks.

Ultimately that lumbered the Irish state with a crippling 70 billion euro banking debt and sparked a budget deficit leading to an 85 billion euro bailout loan.

Former taoisigh under which Mr Lenihan served, Brian Cowen and Bertie Ahern, praised his decency, ability and commitment.

Mr Ahern said he was a politician of outstanding capabilities and compassion, colourful and extraordinarily clever.

“He did immense work on behalf of the people of this country as a minister and his loss is a huge one for Irish politics,” Mr Ahern said.

“He had to contend with huge difficulties but he was equal to the challenge and did a very fine job.”

Mr Cowen said: “At the Cabinet table, I saw at first-hand how hard he worked and how committed he was to doing his utmost for Ireland.

“He made an immense contribution to dealing with the problems the country has faced and I believe that this will be appreciated all the more in time. His commitment and application to his duties never faltered at any time.”

The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: “His positive approach to his illness at the same time as dealing with the difficult circumstances faced by the Irish economy was remarkable and my thoughts are with his family at this time.

“He was a patriotic Irishman doing the best for his country in difficult circumstances.”

Those sentiments were echoed across Europe with Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn saying it was an honour to know Mr Lenihan.

“Brian’s extraordinary personal and professional contribution have ensured that he is and will always be held in the highest esteem by those of us who worked with him in Europe,” Mr Rehn said.

Reports that Mr Lenihan was being treated for cancer emerged during Christmas 2009 and the following month he gave a frank interview discussing the extent of the illness and treatment but insisting he was fit enough to continue in office.

Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson, who was in Dublin for the North South Ministerial Council, described Mr Lenihan as a personal friend who helped out the north several times.

“He was a good friend to Northern Ireland,” Mr Robinson said.

The DUP leader said all who knew Mr Lenihan could not help but be impressed by his courage battling cancer.

“He never sought any concession for his illness, he came and did a full day’s work and more,” he said.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said everybody admired Mr Lenihan’s strength and fortitude battling cancer.

“He was not just a good politician, he was a very affable person, someone who was very inclusive and someone who was a character in his own right,” he said.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said: “Brian was a man who was very popular across the political divide and was much loved in his constituency and across the state.”

OVERWHELMED: A grim-faced Brian Lenihan outside Government Buildings, Dublin on Budget day. Pic: PA

Brian Lenihan’s political legacy will be forever intertwined with the spectacular collapse of the once booming Irish economy.

The trained barrister took over the Finance brief from predecessor Brian Cowen as the country slid from boom to bust, overseeing three Budgets in 18 months and the loss of the state’s hard-won economic sovereignty. Despite being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he remained in office and is tipped as a future leadership candidate for the ruling Fianna Fáil party.

But his support for bailing out the country’s banks with public money while cutting services, hiking taxes and planning to slash the minimum wage has damaged his  credibility.

His reputation took another battering when the Financial Times rated him Europe’s worst finance minister.

The newspaper – which also ranked him last in 2009 – said Mr Lenihan was overwhelmed by the crisis in the country’s banking system and the implosion of the economy. Unveiling Budget 2010, the mnister gave an ill-judged upbeat assessment of the state’s finances, telling the Dáil the country had turned a corner.

The remark has come back to haunt him as the state is saddled with the highest Budget deficit in Europe and tied to an €85bn rescue deal from the IMF and EU.

The Government’s handling of bailout talks incurred public criticism, calls for resignations and warnings of distrust among voters after initially insisting there were no negotiations with the IMF before conceding a loan was on the cards and eventually applying for one.

by Colm Kelpie

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan warned that the budget cuts would be twice the initial estimate.

Ireland’s finance Minister Brian Lenihan has warned that a sizeable chunk of €15bn in savings over the next four years will be in December’s Budget.

The Government said the target for 2011 will be revealed next month and stated cuts and taxation measures will hit people’s living standards.

The massive figure – twice the initial estimate – was blamed on higher debt costs and predictions that the domestic and international economy will grow at a slower pace than first thought.

Mr Lenihan said the bulk of the pain must be taken in the Budget.

“The Government accepts that there must be significant front loading in relation to this figure in the Budget this year,” he said.

“Clearly for credibility purposes it has to be frontloaded.”

The Cabinet met for around six hours on Tuesday to discuss December’s budget and the four-year budgetary road map.

A statement issued after the meeting stated the Government decided on the 15 billion euro figure to ensure the budget deficit is slashed to the EU-agreed target of 3% of Gross Domestic Product, of the value of the economy, by 2014.

Mr Lenihan said the figure was based on an annual average growth rate of 2.75%.

The minister said EU economics commissioner Olli Rehn will travel to Dublin in the week beginning November 8 to brief opposition parties and the social partners.

It is expected the four year plan will be published shortly after.

Speculation has been focused on the scale of the savings needed this year amid suggestions it could be as much as double the initial three billion euro (£2.6 billion) estimate.

The Government said the figure would not be revealed until the four-year plan is published next month and warned delaying the pain was not an option.

A statement said: “The Government realises that the expenditure adjustments and revenue-raising measures that must now be introduced will have an impact on the living standards of citizens.

“But it is neither credible nor realistic to delay these measures.

“To do so would further undermine confidence in our ability to meet our obligations and responsibilities and delay a return to sustainable growth and full employment in our economy.”

Labour deputy leader and finance spokeswoman Joan Burton said the Government was refusing to reveal key information that explained how it came to the 15 billion euro figure.

Ms Burton said other basic economic information was also being withheld from the public and Opposition parties.

“The Government has not yet produced their forecast for economic growth and employment for the next four years to explain the basis for their plan,” she said.

“They have not yet set out what their growth forecast is for 2011, nor have they agreed that forecast with the European Commission.”

Ms Burton said there was still no clarity on the savings needed in December’s Budget, the impact of the bank bailout on the national deficit and savings expected from the Croke Park deal.

“Frankly, if this is the basis on which the Government is having its two-day meeting, then it’s little wonder that the country is in the mess it is in,” she added.

Business body Ibec claimed the 15 billion euro adjustment was challenging but achievable.

Chief Economist Fergal O’Brien said: “It is essential that we don’t stunt our fledgling economic recovery by overtaxing the country. The bulk of the adjustment must come in the form of current expenditure reductions.

“The Irish economy remains in the international spotlight and it is vital that we take the steps necessary to restore confidence. We must demonstrate our ability to solve our own problems and unfortunately this means tough decisions.”

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan tonight stood accused of presiding over the most expensive bank bailout in the world as nationalised Anglo Irish Bank reported €8.2 billion losses.

The massive blackhole for the first half of the year was twice as bad as experts predicted, prompting calls for the Government to pull the plug on the €23 billion survival plan.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said the final bill for saving Anglo would be known within weeks.

But Michael Noonan, Fine Gael finance spokesman, said €6 billion of taxpayers’ money could be saved if an orderly wind-down was started now.

“Minister Lenihan must now give a definitive figure for the cost of saving Anglo Irish. Taxpayers have a right to know,” he said.

Mr Noonan added: “It’s not too late for Minister Lenihan to change course and adopt Fine Gael’s policy.

“Billions of euros have already been wasted on the bank, but Fine Gael believes up to €6 billion of taxpayers’ money could still be saved if Minister Lenihan began an orderly wind-down of Anglo Irish.”

Mr Lenihan said: “I can understand the anger and frustration which citizens have when they witness the scale of the losses in this institution but it must be understood that management and the Board are working very hard as are the Government and EU authorities to bring certainty and finality to this problem.”

Joan Burton, Labour Party finance spokeswoman, said the Minister has been proven wrong on every major decision taken on the banking crisis.

“The taxpayers were reassured at the time that this would be the cheapest bank bailout in the world. Instead it has turned out to be probably the most expensive,” she said.

“The ongoing Anglo saga is corrosive to national morale and deeply damaging to our standing abroad.

“The Government should accept that the game is up on Anglo and commit itself to the orderly wind-down of the bank at the earliest possible date.”

Anglo chairman Alan Dukes said the preferred plan inside the bank was to split it with 80% wound up and a new viable bank created from the remaining good quality loan assets.

The state-run bank, which has been funded by €23 billion of taxpayers’ money, said it expects further losses as more troubled assets are shifted off the bank’s books.

A breakdown of the six monthly returns showed it transferred €10 billion of assets to Ireland’s state controlled bad-bank, the National Asset Management Agency (Nama), set up to try to clean up loan books of Irish lenders.

The bank said it suffered loan impairment charges of €4.8 billion and a loss of €3.5 billion euro over the transfer.

Anglo already holds the unenviable record for posting the largest losses in Irish corporate history last year, one of the biggest losses in world banking and now one of the worst half-year performances of any Irish company.

Anglo said it had an operating profit of €151 million euro before the costs of impairments and losses on disposals to Nama hit home.

The bank’s last results, issued in March for the 15 months to the end of 2009, showed losses of €12.7 billion – the highest in Irish corporate history.

International finance commentators at ratings agency Standard & Poor’s last week warned that Anglo could ultimately cost the state €35 billion.

Arthur Morgan, Sinn Fein finance spokesman, said the Greens should demand the plug is pulled on Anglo.

“Fianna Fail have nationalised the losses of their banking and developer cronies and the revelation that Anglo incurred an 8.2 billion euro loss for the first half of this year is the nail in the coffin for the Government’s banking strategy,” Mr Morgan said.

Ireland is now one of the PIIGS of Europe. Along with Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain, Ireland is in danger of defaulting on its borrowings, we are told.

Together, these embattled countries have been dubbed the PIIGS of Europe. Their economic woes have presented an enormous challenge to the Eurozone up to last week when the European Union announced a massive confidence-building move to provide emergency funding to boost the EU.

In terms of foreign exchange, the euro remains unloved in the markets which has precipitated an all time low against, for instance, the Aussie dollar.

But for those of us unfamiliar with the intricacies of international economics, the endless dialogue about bailouts and bonds and billions can bamboozle.

At the heart of it, however, is what most of us with a connection to Ireland are wondering what this means for Ireland.

At the beginning of the month we witnessed the almost ludicrous scenario where Ireland – struggling to pay teachers and nurses and police – had to stump up €1.3m to help Greece as part of a Eurozone relief package.

Ireland’s Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan described the funding as “money well spent” arguing that the decision “will help safeguard the stability of the euro area as a whole and this stability will benefit all eurozone member states”.

Mr Lenihan knows better than anyone that Ireland too may have to drink from the well of European goodwill should economic conditions continue to decline.

Many believe that Ireland’s day of economic reckoning is not far away.

Respected economist David McWilliams believes that the bailout of Greece has little to do with solidarity with the hapless Greeks but “a bailout for the banks that lent money to Greece”.

“What has been dressed up as a sovereign bailout with an appeal to our sense of European solidarity is nothing more that a direct transfer of money from you [the Irish taxpayer] to the foreign creditors of French and German banks.”

McWilliams believes that Ireland’s bailout of the banks, yet to be fully realised, puts the country in a perilous position.

“We speak English. We have Google, Intel, Microsoft and Facebook’s headquarters here and we spin a better yarn. But we’re actually in exactly the same position – if not worse – than Greece,” he remarked recently.

Commentator Fintan O’Toole, writing in The Irish Times, recently claimed that Irish people were now living in a state of “feudal servitude”.

He summed up the financial mess thus: “There are 1.9 million people at work in the Irish economy. Their average earnings last year were €36,300. After tax, that’s €29,500 each.

From this, each one will stump up an average of €4,600 just to pay the interest on the money the State is borrowing to fund the bank bailout.”

O’Toole, who has two sons in their 20s, conceded: “I am trying to find one compelling reason for them to stay here.”

Morgan Kelly, a professor of economics at UCD who was one of the first to predict Ireland’s economic collapse, is even more pessimistic.

“In effect,” he wrote recently, “Ireland is at the start of an enormous, unplanned social experiment on how rising unemployment affects crime, domestic violence, drug abuse, suicide and a litany of other social pathologies.

“Mass mortgage defaults caused by unemployment and falling house prices are the next act of the Irish economic tragedy.

“As well as bankrupting our worthless banks all over again, the human cost of tens of thousands of families losing their homes will be enormous,” he says.

Even if these three commentators are half right, the prospect of Ireland shedding its economic woes looks tragically remote.

editor@irishecho.com.au

The economy will turn the corner this summer despite official figures which showed last year was the worst on record, the

Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan

Government has insisted.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan also claimed the 7.1% fall in the value of all goods and services was marginally better than his Budget 2010 estimates of 7.5% decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

But Richard Bruton, Fine Gael finance spokesman, rejected this assessment with the stark warning: “The recession isn’t over, it’s actually getting deeper.”

While GDP suffered the biggest collapse in history the report showed the rate of decline eased slightly as the year went on.

Mr Bruton went on: “This is the picture of an economy caught in a vice-like grip where the private sector is saving furiously in order to pay down its debts.

“Ireland has the wrong government, with the wrong policies, to deal with this crisis.

“Fianna Fail and the Greens are pursuing a policy of crude retrenchment which is simply not enough to respond to this crisis.

“Next year Minister Lenihan is promising a further two billion euro worth of cuts in investment and tax hikes. This will make the chance of recovery even more difficult.”

Mr Bruton called for restructuring and reform of day-to-day spending to promote a jobs strategy.

“These figures are fresh confirmation that what this country needs now is a new government with the authority and the mandate to address our problems,” he said.

“Instead we have a government which is a prisoner of the failed policies of the past, which has no new ideas, and does not have the broad support which is so necessary to bring about recovery.”

Labour’s Joan Burton said along with the 13% unemployment revealed on Wednesday, official figures painted a picture of an economic meltdown last year.

“Records are being set for all the wrong reasons as the government’s scorched-earth budget and banking policies continue to take their toll on our fragile economy,” she said.

Ms Burton said there was a world of pain and suffering behind the unemployment and economic figures.

“The Government insists that the recession will end by the middle of this year as the economy returns to growth,” she said. “The economy may technically return to modest growth this year, but real recovery won’t come until we get the country back to work.

“Any growth this year is likely to be modest and jobless.”

The Central Statistics Office said GDP fell by more than 8% at the start of the year but that rate had reduced to about 5% by the end of the year. The value of homegrown business, measured by gross national product (GNP), fell by 11.3% over the year.

Mr Lenihan said the figures were marginally better than the Budget 2010 estimates of 7.5% decline in GDP with the pace in decline slowing throughout the year.

He said: “There was a fall in GDP of 2.3% between the third and fourth quarters. Excluding the impact of the ongoing decline in new house building, GDP was roughly unchanged in the fourth quarter.”

He added: “I expect that the economy will resume growing in the second half of the year.

“Internationally, in many of our trading partners there are tentative signs that a modest recovery is under way. The Government has taken actions to ensure the economy is positioned to take advantage of this recovery.”

Business lobby group Ibec said it was confident of an upturn over the coming months despite last year being the worst downturn on record.

It forecast the economy would pull out of recession around the middle of 2010 and return to annual growth in 2011.

Economist Fergal O’Brien said: “The recovery will be fairly muted initially and it will be 2011 before we see annual growth re-emerge.

“Many businesses remain under serious pressure and additional government measures to support enterprise and employment are urgently required.”

Ibec said the record low GDP figures had been expected, but cautioned: “Unfortunately, there is yet no hard evidence of a turning point for the Irish economy as output contracted again in the final quarter of 2009.”

Irish Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has spoken for the first time about his ensuing battle with pancreatic cancer.

Irish Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has confirmed that he will continue his roles in the Department, the Dáil, and in Cabinet, despite recently being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Mr Lenihan revealed that he will need chemotherapy and possibly radiotherapy after cancerous tissue was removed from the entrance to his pancreas.

The Minister’s health had been the subject of intense speculation in Ireland since it was reported on Boxing Day that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

However, he revealed in a statment yesterday that his pancreas is now functioning normally, and that his doctors have advised him he is fit to continue in office.

Mr Lenihan said he was aware of the importance of his office, and that if the position were to change, he would be the first to recognise it.

The Minister also thanked the public for their many messages of support. Fine Gael described as “commendable” Mr Lenihan’s statement about his illness and his determination to concentrate his energies on the Department of Finance.

In a statement, the party’s finance spokesman Richard Bruton wished Mr Lenihan a full and speedy recovery.

Mr Lenihan also revealed that he asked doctors whether stress might have been a factor in the onset of his illness, saying he questioned whether the unprecedented and near-catastrophic events of last year had taken their toll on him.

“Of course I asked the doctors that,” he said. “It’s difficult to know because it’s one of those cancerous developments which the doctors haven’t assigned a very definite cause.”

However, Lenihan vowed to fight on in his office.

“It is a growth and it is a growth I intend to defeat or it will defeat me. My doctors have advised me not to be doing 14 hour days, so I won’t be doing that. I will be prioritising.

“At all times, I will act in the best interests of the country and in accordance with any medical advice received.”

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan reveals his 2010 Budget.

Australia’s Irish welfare organisations look set to take a major financial hit after the Irish Government announced significant cuts to emigrant funding recently.

The cuts, contained in a very tough Budget presented to the Dáil by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan on December 9, will result in a 15 per cent reduction in the emigrant funding allocation.

Australia has five Irish welfare groups which perform important work looking after expats in difficulty: The Irish Australian Welfare Bureaux in Sydney, Melbourne and Wollongong; the Irish Australian Support Association of Queensland and the Claddagh Association in  Perth.

While these groups organise their own local fundraising, the lion’s share of their budget comes from the Irish Government.

In the most recent round of funding the groups received over €219,000 from the Irish exchequer. If the emigrant Budget is cut across the board, this would result in a shortfall of €30,000 ($49,000) for 2010.

The groups recently received their funding cheques from the 2009 round with the Sydney Welfare Bureau receiving €74,679 (up from €58,620).

The Melbourne bureau received €70,431 (up from €61,400), the Brisbane-based IASAQ received €47,646 (up from €39,460), the Perth-based Claddagh group received first-time funding of €12,097 and the Wollongong group was given €14,656.

Margaret Duggan of the Bondi-based Australian Irish Welfare Bureau said that a 15 per cent cut in funding would be a “major financial problem” for the organisation.

She said the IAWB would appeal to the Irish Government “not to cut our funding as all our clients deserve and need all the programmes that we run and we will not consider cutting any of them.

“[But] we will also have to appeal to our local supporters who have always been very supportive of the IAWB and the work we do.”

She said the senior Irish clients were “the most vulnerable people in our community and need all the help and assistance we can give them.”

She also pointed to the “ever increasing number of Irish backpackers” who “need our assistance from time to time”.

In 2008, Irish community groups in Australia received just over one per cent of Ireland’s total emigrant funding while groups in Britain and the United States received more than 90 per cent. Groups based within Ireland itself were given over €1m in emigrant funding.

Among those who benefited from the emigrant budget in 2008 were the GAA (€400,000) and the Football Association of Ireland (€50,000).

The full breakdown of 
emigrant funding for 2009 has yet to be published.

by Billy Cantwell