Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

When will the Taoiseach next meet the Vice President and President of the United States? Will he outline his full schedule of public appearances on his visit to the United States during the St. Patrick's Day period?

I gather from the Taoiseach's comments that the Government, in trying to secure a future for our undocumented friends and fellow citizens in the United States, believes that their circumstances need to be addressed at the same time as the plight of the estimated 11 million other undocumented persons living in the United States, many of who are from Latino backgrounds. Is that correct? Unfortunately, many undocumented persons, including undocumented Irish people, are seriously exploited and open to exploitation and experience other human problems such as separation from family, fear and so forth, about which we know too well. Does the Taoiseach agree that the best approach would be for the tens of thousands of undocumented Irish and Irish communities generally in the United States to build powerful links and solidarity with Latinos and other people and nationalities who are fighting to secure recognition and obtain security of tenure in the United States? Does he agree that, rather than approaching the issue from a narrow national perspective with individual governments trying to make separate arrangements, the solution lies in all 11 million people, including Irish people, being given security of tenure in the United States? Is that not how the difficulties faced by Irish people and people of every other nationality would be resolved?

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