Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We should look at what inward immigration has achieved for Ireland today. It has brought about a marvellous cultural diversity. This Government has given citizenship to between 30,000 and 60,000 members of new communities from 120 countries. We are a phenomenal country. These people are moving. The amount of movement in the world today is phenomenal. Many of those who are staying here are happy to become Irish citizens and work here. Everything has changed, and I applaud this because it highlights effectively some of my views about emigration. When the American Embassy recently held an event at the RDS to celebrate the issuing of 150,000 J1 visas, which is a fantastic figure, it made me think. Who would not want to go? Would any person who has the ability to do so not want to leave, spread their wings, grow, learn and travel?
Of course there is a role for support agencies like the Crosscare Migrant Project. Not everyone will be a happy returnee like I was. I have some pointed questions in that context. I am worried about certain aspects of the campaign. The witnesses might provide an explanation with regard to Canadian visas that are restricted to two or two and a half years. I do not know whether they have them in Australia too. The report tells us that just 10% of people intend to obey the laws of these countries by returning after the cessation of their visas. The same approach left us with 50,000 or 60,000 illegals in America. I do not think the people in the American or Australian embassies would like to hear that just 10% of people will return when their visas expire. It is there in the report.
The witnesses mentioned that 69% of people would like emigrants to have the right to vote. They will be aware that we are undertaking an in-depth examination of the diaspora question. We now have a Minister of State with responsibility for the diaspora. This complicated issue has been debated at this forum and at the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs. It is hard to decide who should be given the right to vote. Nevertheless, I welcome the reference to this issue in the report.
I wish our education system could recognise that we are Europeans as much as we are Irish and therefore teach European languages. Even though kids might feel isolation in far-flung locations like Australia, or parts of America like New York, they go there because English is spoken. If we could change the education system, they might be able to work out of Germany, Belgium and Spain. Anyone who travels regularly will know it is nearly impossible to get a seat on an aircraft. The Chairman does a great deal of travelling, so he will have seen for himself the huge movement of people from Ireland to Europe and vice versa. It could be said that those who are based here but working in Europe are bilocating.
I support the register. I am not joking or playing cheap politics. I congratulate the witnesses on the two excellent reports they have given us.