The Government is to give grants of €7 million to more than 100 organisations across Britain dealing with vulnerable Irish emigrants.
Much of the funding is to be directed towards charities dealing with homeless and elderly Irish migrants in major cities.
They include €302,000 for the Cricklewood Homeless Concern in London, which provides accommodation and other support services to homeless people. It also provides access to counselling and other treatment for those suffering from alcoholism and drug problems.
The Cricklewood and Brent area continues to have a large but ageing Irish population.
The London Irish Centre is also one of the largest recipients, receiving a grant of €406,296 for this year.
The money, which is being provided through the Dion fund, was announced yesterday in London by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern.
Mr Ahern met emigrant groups at the Irish Embassy in London, and thanked them for their work with the Irish community in Britain. "I want to thank the organisations representing emigrant groups for their dedication and sensitive assistance to Irish people in Britain."
He said "the shelter of community care that they offer, particularly to the more vulnerable and marginalised, provides an effective and caring support system".
He said Government support for their work would continue. State support for Irish welfare groups had "never been higher", and it was now nine times the level it was in 1997.
"This year €7 million will be distributed from the Díon fund, an increase of 61 per cent on last year. This very significant increase follows other substantial increases in recent years. I want to see this trend continuing."
The Government has been criticised by Opposition parties for failing to do enough to support the elderly and vulnerable Irish people living in Britain.
A report by a task force on emigrant policy from three years ago recommended that funding for emigrant groups abroad rise to €18 million by 2005.
Current overall funding stands at €8 million for this year.
Labour Party chief whip Emmet Stagg has claimed that only a quarter of the recommendations contained in the task force's report have been implemented.
He said Labour had also been campaigning for the introduction of free travel in the Republic for pensioners from Britain.