Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Tánaiste's commitment to enhance further the delivery of the passport service. I wish to record my thanks to staff in the Passport Office and the Tánaiste's own office because while dealing with constituency work during the summer, I encountered plenty of issues. A media campaign still is required to encourage people to apply for passports in time. All members receive weekend calls on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings involving people going on holidays or whatever. However, I wish to record my appreciation for the assistance of the staff involved. As for the Irish abroad programme, all members are aware that unfortunately, people still are living in difficult circumstances in the major cities in Britain, the United States and elsewhere. The Irish abroad programme has been highly successful and it is clear, from visiting different Irish communities in different cities, particularly in Britain, the assistance that has been given is valued. However, such assistance probably still is needed.

I have often thought that with society having more active retired people, there may be an opportunity to engage with people who are retired from employment and to get them involved. For several years, the numbers of people active within the Irish community have been declining and the age profile has been rising. While the embassy staff would be in a better position to judge, I believe an opportunity exists to engage more people. During the passage through the Oireachtas of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill, Deputies Crowe and Maureen O'Sullivan and I met people from London who were dealing with Irish people who had been the victims of abuse in residential institutions. There still is a major need to provide assistance and help to many Irish people living in many different communities. Consequently, I am anxious for the maintenance of whatever assistance is possible for that programme, as it is put to good use by volunteers in those cities.