Safe Home Ireland (Safe Home) is a Co. Mayo based not-for-profit national organisation with a global remit. They were set up in 2000 to facilitate the desire for elderly Irish emigrants abroad to return home to live in their native area. Over the years, the organisation has evolved from simply providing a housing option for older Irish born emigrants. They now provide a range of other services including information and guidance to all emigrants abroad and outreach and advocacy support to those who return home regardless of age, circumstances or geographical relocation on return.
Emigration is an intrinsic part of Irish life and has directly and indirectly affected every family and community throughout Ireland. No country has been as affected by emigration over the past two centuries as has Ireland. Approximately 10 million people have emigrated from Ireland since 1,800 and current estimates indicate that there are up to 70 million people who claim Irish heritage worldwide
Since thei inception in 2000, Safe Home Ireland has directly supported 2,237 (as at 1 November 2022) older Irish born people return ‘home’ to live and countless others via our information, outreach and advisory service. Our applicants have come from all corners of the globe and to all 26 counties. For the majority, their return was a positive lifelong dream and could not have been fulfilled without the intervention and support of Safe Home.
Their Vision is to ensure that anyone considering of returning or moving to Ireland is given every opportunity to make an informed decision
Their Mission is to act as the link for Irish emigrants both at home and abroad by providing advice, information, guidance and supports for those seeking permanent repatriation, as well as those who chose to stay in their adopted country.
To apply for housing through Safe Home, applicants must be:
(a) Irish born emigrants living abroad
(b) aged 57 years or older
(c) capable of independent living
(d) living in rented accommodation abroad and unable to provide accommodation for themselves out of their own resources on their return to Ireland.
See https://safehomeireland.com/ for more.