Irish-resident "mentors" are being sought to share their time and experience with newly-arrived immigrants under a new scheme initiated by businessman Bill Cullen in Dublin today.
The programme, run by the Immigrant Council of Ireland, will pair newcomers with Irish citizens or long-term residents and aims to ease people's transition into Irish life.
Mentors will be asked to give some of their time each month to helping an immigrant with language and cultural problems, or with improving understanding of Irish culture.
Mr Cullen, star of the reality TV programme The Apprentice, said the experience would be mutually beneficial for participants and encouraged people to sign up.
"This is a great way for people with a variety of skills to share their expertise and knowledge about Ireland in a way that brings real benefits to themselves, their mentee and the community as a whole," he said. "For a relatively small commitment of time and knowledge, the rewards can be enormous."
Junyu Wang, a Chinese citizen who attended the launch, said having a mentor could have helped his transition to life in Ireland. "I have lived here for some time now, but I remember when I first arrived, I found it difficult to find information on health, employment, immigration rules, education and social welfare issues," he remarked.
"The main reasons why it was hard for me included language barriers, not talking to the right people for advice or information, the different cultural backgrounds and generally not having enough Irish friends to guide me around. I would have definitely wanted this kind of programme."
John Cunningham, the council's chair, described it as a grass-roots initiative that promoted integration by encouraging people to learn from each other.
"Mentors voluntarily give their time and their knowledge - whether that relates to creating greater understanding of Irish culture, sharing an interest in sport or providing career guidance or helping with the English language - while mentees share their experiences of a different culture and country, migration and living in Ireland," he said.
Volunteers must be over 21 and be willing to give the scheme a minimum of five hours a month for at least a year. Further information is available on www.immigrantcouncil.ie
