A detailed note on the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, the Department of Foreign Affairs has handled more than 16,000 queries concerning the welfare of Irish citizens abroad and facilitated the repatriation of over 4,600 citizens from 113 countries.
An expanded call centre established to assist with
the crisis has been staffed around the clock.
Priority is given to the folloowing:
Citizens who are abroad on a non-permanent basis;
Those in countries which pose particular risks from a political or security perspective, or where the health system is underdeveloped;
Health care workers seeking to return to assist with COVID-19 response
Senior citizens and those with underlying health conditions or mental health issues;
Those in a challenging financial situation, or with particular unique criteria, for example family circumstances in
Ireland.

Among those assisted with repatriation, approximately 4,056 citizens were assisted with getting on commercial flights; 421 citizens on flights organised by EU and other partners; and 200 citizens on charter flights organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs (Peru and India).
In line with most other EU Member States, including the UK,
these repatriation services were provided on a pay as you go or recoupment basis.

The Department of Foreign Affairs continues to assist many Irish citizens who remain overseas and who wish to
return home. Areas of particular concern currently are Thailand (particularly complex cases), Vietnam and South East Asia in general, as well as New Zealand.
There is also the question of providing assistance to potentially large numbers of citizens in places such as the USA and UK, who may seek to return or become
hospitalised or bereaved over the coming weeks.

An Emergency Relief Mechanism has been established to provide funding for charter flights at short notice and to provide essential assistance to citizens with no other means to support themselves while awaiting repatriation.

Protection of Irish Communities Abroad
Since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, efforts have focused on the emergency consular response, but as we begin to move beyond this initial phase, we need to
ensure we are protecting and supporting our Irish communities abroad as they face new challenges resulting from the crisis.
Currently the Government, through its Emigrant Support Programme, supports more than 250 Irish welfare, community and other related organisations globally to deliver services to our communities abroad. Many of these organisations have
responded impressively to refocus their efforts and develop contingency plans aimed at ensuring continuity of services to the most vulnerable members of our diaspora communities, in particularly to the elderly.

The Government will take a three-track approach to support these efforts over the coming weeks.

1. A dedicated COVID Response Fund for Irish Communities Abroad This will support organisations over the coming months with a particular emphasis on:
– protecting the elderly and mitigating the impact of social isolation, especially during the period of ‘cocooning’;
– meeting the needs of those made vulnerable by the crisis and responding
quickly and effectively to cases of particular hardship;
– providing additional mental health supports and bereavement counselling;
and
– supporting the provision of services online.
The Government will provide an initial €2.5 million and will seek to build this quickly to €5 million in partnership with other organisations as a developed programming stream emerges.

2, ‘Keeping the lights on’: An approach to protecting Irish Community Networks and Infrastructure during the crisis. Many Irish community organisations have had to close their doors and cancel their normal activities. This has had a serious impact on their income streams and fundraising abilities. Particularly affected have been Irish arts and cultural
organisations around the world, which play an important role in disseminating Irish culture to the diaspora and more widely internationally.
The Government, through the Emigrant Support Programme, will continue to support such organisations through this challenging period. The Department will demonstrate flexibility to allow them to utilise and, where necessary, repurpose,
funding to meet the urgent challenges of the current crisis. Following our response to the immediate needs of our communities, we must also look to the longer-term viability of these organisations which provide services that could not
be replicated in their absence.

3 Staying in touch, staying connected
In addition to communications around the specific measures set out above, a targeted strategy will be developed to provide support, reassurance and connectedness to the Global Irish. This initiative will be spearheaded by Minister for the Diaspora, Ciaran Cannon and supported by the Department and its mission network and in close coordination with other Departments and agencies.

A rapid, targeted and generous response to the current crisis can help to mitigate difficulties experienced by our communities abroad, but in the longer term, can also contribute to a strengthened sense of connection and solidarity among the Global Irish.