Irish Diaspora Minister Jimmy Deenihan will be addressing the Global Irish Economic Forum this weekend, where he will present a new program based on "Birthright Israel".

Since it's inception in 1999, more than 400,000 Jewish students have spent ten days in Israel as part of the Birthright program, and Minister Deenihan is looking for similar results from the upcoming Irish-American version of the program.

If the scheme is given the go-ahead, the first phase of the program will involve Irish-American students aged between eighteen and twenty-six to spend ten to fourteen days in Ireland at zero cost to themselves, as they immerse themselves in Irish history, culture and current affairs.

For the new Irish Birthright program to work, it would most likely require funding from a mix of private and government sources.

While there is no regulations set in place as to how the students are chosen, the rules of eligibility may be similar to the Israel program:

- applicants must be between the ages of eighteen and twenty-six.

- applicants must have graduated from high school.

- applicants must have at least one Jewish parent.

- applicants must identify as Jewish.

- applicants who have been on prior educational trips to Israel or who have spent more than three months there since the age of twelve are not eligible.

- applicants who are Israeli citizens or those who were born there may only apply if they left Israel before the age of twelve.