Ireland's New Diaspora Strategy 2026-2030 Targets 70 Million Global Irish with Expanded Support and Digital Engagement
Ireland's third Diaspora Strategy, covering the period 2026 to 2030, sets out 23 specific commitments to deepen the state's engagement with the estimated 70 million people of Irish heritage worldwide — a comprehensive framework that prioritises the wellbeing of vulnerable emigrants, the promotion of Irish culture and identity abroad, and the leveraging of diaspora expertise for Ireland's trade and diplomatic agenda.
Background
Ireland's relationship with its diaspora is one of the defining features of the country's identity and its international standing. The scale of Irish emigration over the past two centuries — driven by famine, poverty, economic necessity, and more recently by opportunity and ambition — has created a global community of extraordinary size and influence. The estimated 70 million people of Irish heritage worldwide include communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Argentina, and dozens of other countries, and their connection to Ireland ranges from the deeply personal to the broadly cultural.
The Irish government has been developing formal diaspora strategies since 2015, when the first such document was published. The 2020-2025 strategy built on that foundation, and the new 2026-2030 document represents the most ambitious and comprehensive engagement with the diaspora question yet. It was developed following nine months of consultations, including over 27 in-person meetings across multiple countries and 10,000 responses to the first-ever online Global Irish Survey conducted in the summer of 2025.
The strategy was launched by Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond at the Fourth Global Irish Civic Forum at Croke Park on April 30, 2026, and subsequently received a dedicated US launch at Ireland House in New York on May 12. The breadth of the consultation process and the ambition of the commitments it contains represent a significant step forward in how Ireland thinks about and engages with its global community.
Key Developments
The strategy's 23 commitments are organised around five thematic threads. Wellbeing and advocacy focuses on supporting the most vulnerable members of the diaspora, including survivors of institutional abuse, through the Emigrant Support Programme, which has provided more than €265 million to over 900 organisations worldwide since 2004. Identity and culture commits to promoting Irish arts, the Irish language, and the preservation of history among diaspora communities. Connection and contribution seeks to leverage diaspora expertise for Ireland's trade, innovation, and foreign direct investment goals. Departure and return addresses the practical barriers faced by those leaving Ireland and those seeking to return, including issues around driving licence recognition, social welfare, and insurance. Sharing our experience positions Ireland as a global leader in diaspora engagement expertise.
A notable feature of the new strategy is its inclusive definition of the diaspora, which extends beyond those with hereditary Irish links to encompass an "affinity diaspora" — individuals who have lived, worked, or studied in Ireland and retain a strong connection to the country. This reflects a recognition that Irish identity in the 21st century is not limited to a single ethnic or historical experience.
Why It Matters
The Diaspora Strategy matters because the global Irish community is one of Ireland's most significant assets — economically, diplomatically, and culturally. Irish-Americans have played a crucial role in supporting the peace process in Northern Ireland, Irish diaspora networks have been instrumental in attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland, and Irish cultural exports — from literature and music to film and sport — have been amplified by the enthusiasm of diaspora communities around the world. A coherent, well-resourced strategy for engaging with this community is not a luxury; it is a strategic necessity for a small country that punches well above its weight on the world stage.
The strategy also reflects a changing reality of Irish emigration. The current generation of Irish emigrants is more mobile, more digitally connected, and more likely to return to Ireland than previous generations. The strategy's focus on pre-departure support and on reducing the barriers to return reflects this reality, and its commitment to digital engagement acknowledges that the tools for maintaining connection with the diaspora have changed fundamentally in the past decade.
Local Impact
For Irish communities abroad — from the long-established Irish centres in Boston, New York, and London to the newer communities in Sydney, Dubai, and Berlin — the new strategy represents a commitment from the Irish state to take their needs and their contributions seriously. The Emigrant Support Programme, which is the primary funding mechanism for diaspora support organisations, will continue to be a lifeline for the most vulnerable members of the global Irish community, including elderly emigrants who may have limited access to social services in their countries of residence. For those considering emigrating from Ireland, the strategy's commitment to better pre-departure information and support is a recognition that the state has a responsibility to those who leave, not just those who stay.
What's Next
The Department of Foreign Affairs will publish an Action Plan for the implementation of the strategy's 23 commitments in the coming months, with specific timelines and accountability mechanisms for each commitment. The Global Irish Civic Forum, which provided the launch platform for the strategy, will continue to meet annually to review progress and to provide a forum for diaspora voices to engage with the Irish government. The Emigrant Support Programme's funding allocation for 2027 will be determined in the context of Budget 2027, with diaspora organisations across the world expected to make the case for increased resources given the growing scale of Irish emigration and the expanding scope of the strategy's ambitions.
