Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

The CWOs of Ireland, for whose professionalism I have the greatest respect, are well equipped to issue a piece of paper if they are capable of sending an e-mail. There is such a thing as a printer and these things are printed out. I want a workable system that does not become chaotic. Each applicant is required to submit a form which incorporates a statutory declaration and has a number of things attached to it. One of them is this letter. It is not a difficult thing to do. Although I accept the Deputy's proposition that many of these people are vulnerable, this is not an unreasonable requirement. This is an extremely generous offer by the Irish State, which is being run in a very effective way. No other state in Europe has made an offer of this kind. I have to ask that the applicants comply with a basic step, which is to obtain a letter from their CWO where that is applicable, identifying the fact that they have been in this State in the period since their child was born.

If the Deputy wants to know why that is required, it is because a considerable number of people came to Ireland, had a child and went abroad. This scheme is not for them and they are not eligible to apply for it. It is only for people who claim that they have resided in Ireland since the birth of their child and who ask to continue to live here. People who had an Irish citizen child and who went elsewhere are not allowed to come back to Ireland and to pretend that they have been resident here since the birth of their child. A letter from a CWO is a very simple verification of this. It is not beyond the wit of man or woman to produce that letter to support a genuine case.

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