Noel Grealish (Galway West, Progressive Democrats)

If we were to take the course of action recommended by the Opposition we would wait and allow still more people without any real connection with Ireland or the Irish people to confer automatic citizenship on their children; allow the overcrowded situation in our maternity hospitals to continue; keep the door open for non-EU citizens living in other EU states to come here and to use their new-born Irish children as the legal means for them to claim residency rights in other EU states; continue to have pregnant mothers living in Britain moving to Northern Ireland in the late stages of pregnancy and using temporary accommodation addresses to confer Irish citizenship on their children; and duck the problem and allow it to get worse although the solution is staring us in the face.

Deputy Kenny announced that the Opposition will enter Government to form a coalition of the caring. It would be no such thing — it would be a coalition of the careless. We can see what to expect from the Opposition's current conduct of the citizenship issue. Instead of principle we would get posture; instead of action we would get talk; instead of solutions we would get continued problems.

The Government is right that there is a problem with current citizenship law which was not intended when we approved the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, and we can only fix that problem by amending the Constitution. If we amend the Constitution and pass the Government's proposed legislation, we will still have, "one of the more liberal states in the EU from the point of view of citizenship" according to Ms Carol Coulter of The Irish Times.

This referendum will not alter the rights of individual Irish citizens, north or south of the Border, or those entitled to Irish citizenship to automatically confer Irish citizenship on their children, or change the citizenship position of those who already have Irish citizenship. The question to be answered in the referendum will be simple, namely, should children born in Ireland get automatic citizenship even if neither parent has any real connection with Ireland or with the Irish people? The answer of the Irish people will also be simple.

In conclusion, if we are to protect the integrity of Irish citizenship and behave as good neighbours to our fellow EU members, we should pass this referendum. The Opposition's proposed amendment is an attempt by those who cannot see what is wrong to distract those who know what is right. I reject the Opposition amendment and commend the Government's proposal to the House.

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