Irish community groups in Britain received more than €8 million in Government grants today.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern announced the funding for Irish welfare, community and sports organisations at the Irish embassy in London.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern
Over 140 organisations and advisory services meeting the needs of the Irish in Britain will benefit.
The funding was allocated by the Dion Committee, which was set up by the Government in 1984, to respond to the needs of Irish emigrants in Britain. More than €29 million has been allocated to date from Dion - Irish for "shelter".
A total of €7 million was provided last year, a 60 per cent increase on 2004.
In 2001, it was estimated that there were six million Irish people living in Britain who were Irish-born or second or third generation Irish. This represented 11 per cent of the total 54.5 million British population at the time.
However in recent years more migrants have been moving from Britain to Ireland than vice versa.
PA