John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

The issue was signalled. I suppose it is a matter of interpretation how one believed it might be dealt with. It is appropriate that it be dealt with.

I have also listened to the arguments on the numbers pertaining to the maternity hospitals and to anecdotal evidence on how many children of non-national parentage are born in the State and on where their parents are coming from. I really do not believe this is the major issue; rather, it is a result of the issue. The issue is whether we want to have automatic citizenship for any child born on this island. If we do, we need to ask ourselves what citizenship is all about and ascertain the responsibilities associated with it.

The figures on immigration and on whether pregnant immigrants are arriving 38 or 39 weeks into their pregnancies have been argued about in many different ways. I was listening to "Morning Ireland" this morning and heard the master of one of the maternity hospitals make an interesting comment.

This was something I had not paid much attention to or taken into account. He said that non-nationals are arriving from other EU countries. His view was that these people were coming here to give birth for the purpose of citizenship rather than on medical grounds because they were coming from France, Britain and so forth where people have access to good medical treatment, that because they were non-EU nationals, by giving birth in Ireland they were abusing the system.

I am not concerned about what the total numbers are. This is not a question of the level being so many hundreds or thousands of people; the important issue is what kind of system we want to operate. The system which we have at present cannot be allowed to continue.

I have listened to Opposition Members query why the referendum is being held in tandem with the local and European elections in June. On most occasions when a referendum has been held, if feasible it has been held in conjunction with another election. The same people who are complaining about that fact would also complain if it had been decided to hold the referendum in September or October. They would claim it as a waste of taxpayers' money and ask why an earlier opportunity had not been availed of. That argument does not stand up. It is appropriate that this essential referendum is taken in conjunction with a scheduled election.

The argument has been made that it is right that a child born here should qualifiy for automatic citizenship. However, people who make this argument do not address the issue of what citizenship is about. Citizenship brings responsibility. Listening to many of the arguments on this issue which I heard in the House, citizenship appeared to amounted to no more than a flag of convenience. As an island nation we should view it as a great deal more than that.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh referred to births from ethnic and non-ethnic parents and so forth. That is not really the issue. It is not about diversity in that sense; it is about citizenship. People of all ethnic backgrounds can be citizens of this nation. It is up to this House to legislate in regard to citizenship and this is precisely what the referendum will achieve. The referendum offers people the opportunity to make their views known on whether they want automatic citizenship, as applies at present, or if they want it regulated. When the referendum takes place I think we will find that while people are not racist they do not want the citizenship of this country to be abused. They do not want it to be a flag of convenience; they view citizenship as being a great deal more important than that.

The Oireachtas, as a result of the referendum, will regulate citizenship for new-born children. Although the numbers have been disputed the evidence shows that people are abusing the citizenship law. They are coming to the country for no other reason than to have children born here who qualify for Irish citizenship. That is wrong and I think most people in the country would agree. It is important that the Government has taken action in this regard. It is also important that the ultimate decision is left to the people by way of referendum.

I fully support the provisions of the Bill.

See this speech in context