Dr.Mary Tilki Chair and Jennie McShannon CEO of Irish in Britain
Irish in Britain Chair Dr. Mary Tilki and CEO Jennie McShannon have appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children today, 11 December 2014. The Committee has met to discuss the health issues facing Irish migrants to Britain and the US in particular for the first time.
Dr. Tilki highlighted the many issues confronting Irish people in Britain who have particular health needs, and spoke of the cultural barriers endured by those from an older generation, including discrimination and a lack of understanding. She said many who remain cut off after years of discrimination are suffering further from a lack of cultural understanding afforded to other minorities. She also spoke of the invisibility of Irish people within statistical data as the ‘white’ categories are often compiled, hiding the specific health needs of our community.
Jennie McShannon promoted the many initiatives being implemented by members of Irish in Britain and warned that the provision of funding for Irish focused organisations was fragile and overly dependant on Emigrant Support Programme funding for several reasons. Firstly single ethnicity funding has generally been discouraged in Britain recently; and secondly that as a predominantly (but not exclusively) white ethnic minority, Irish organisations find that they are the last to be funded and the first to be cut from the few sources that do provide single ethnicity funding.
Research found:
• Irish people have among the highest levels of limiting long–term illness and self–reported poor health in England;
• Irish Travellers have the highest self–reported poor health in the country and are second highest for long–term sickness;
• High levels of death rates among Irish from coronary heart disease, hypertension and stroke;
• The Irish have the highest death rate from cancer in the population.
Irish in Britain have a long standing position in tackling health inequalities of the Irish community in Britain. You can read more about that here.
Chair of the Committee Jerry Buttimer TD
Brian O’Dwyer a New York based Attorney and activist spoke on behalf of the Irish community in the USA and compared the experiences of Irish people there against what was said by Jennie and Dr. Tilki.
Brian O’Dwyer an Attorney from New York
Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan TD thanked Jennie, Dr. Tilki and Brian for their well informed contributions and said that the committee had ‘learned a lot’ from the submissions and spoke of the need to form intergenerational connections among Irish people living abroad.
Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan TD
Dr. Tilki speaking at the Oireachtas Committee
Committee Members