Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

While I welcome this debate, two hours is insufficient time to discuss the issue of undocumented Irish immigrants in the United States. My slot has suddenly been cut from 15 to seven minutes because of the level of demand to speak on the matter. At a meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs earlier in the year I raised the treatment meted out to some undocumented Irish people when apprehended by the authorities in the United States. I wish to place on record the co-operation the joint committee received from the United States ambassador when he appeared before us to outline the difficulties arising from undocumented Irish in the US and the options available to address them. As a result of advice received, a delegation from the committee visited the United States in June.

I propose to list the groups we met during our visit because of the excellent work they do and the great insight they gave us into the seriousness of the problem. They were: the Emerald Isle Immigration Center; the New York Irish Center in Long Island City; the Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers; the Project Irish Outreach of Catholic charities; the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center in Philadelphia; and a large cross-section of politicians and administrators in Washington.

While I welcome the advent of the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Bill, introduced by Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain, and a similar Act introduced by the House of Representatives, the Kolbe-Flake-Gutierrez Bill, I accept the considerable difficulties the legislation faces. I was told, perhaps by an overly pessimistic individual, that the McCain-Kennedy Bill was "DOA". When I asked what this meant, I was informed it means "dead on arrival". I am more optimistic and hope that, having gone before the Judiciary Committee in July, these Bills will proceed to a successful conclusion. All sides support the motion before us. If introduced, the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act would be a welcome development which would give new hope, security and peace of mind to many Irish people in the United States and their concerned families at home.

As Deputy Connaughton noted, as many as 50,000 undocumented Irish people live in the United States. This group is in a deeply difficult position and includes many people who have set down roots in the US over ten or 20 years, established businesses and had families. They are now waiting for a knock on the door that will result in deportation. I was approached by a family in Cork who had to return to Ireland because of a family crisis and, unable to return, now finds its business in the United States in ruins. The undocumented Irish in America face major difficulty accessing services or even obtaining essential documentation such as driving licences but the main area of concern we encountered on our visit was the problem of travelling home to Ireland in times of family crisis.

In discussing the needs of undocumented Irish people in the United States we should also consider our responsibility to those Irish people who emigrated many decades ago. While I acknowledge the support the Minister is giving to Irish organisations in the United States, we must acknowledge that many of the Irish emigrants who helped keep Ireland afloat during the darkest of dark days now live in poverty-stricken old age in British and American cities. We have a moral duty to these people, many of whom kept their families and entire villages afloat by sending money and postal orders in the dark days of the past. They stood by us when we needed them; it is our turn to stand by them. The Government must not forget the responsibility we owe them and should fully implement the report of the task force on emigrants without further delay.

While none of us disputes the right of the United States to set its own immigration requirements, especially in light of the events of 11 September 2001, increased security in the US has posed major difficulties for many Irish people living there. Between 2000 and 2004, 270 Irish people were deported from the United States. The relationship between Ireland and America has been built on mutual respect earned by the millions of Irish emigrants who helped build that great country.

I attach a short note of realism here, there are major difficulties. As Deputy Connaughton stated, there are opponents to the US Act because security is uppermost in people's minds.

There is also one element with which I would not agree but which I must put on record. There were a number of people who said to us that they had noted Irish attitudes to US foreign policy and asked why should they do anything for us because of our stance on some issues that the US has taken up. That is a view with which I would not agree but at the same time there exists that element of opposition caused by such statements, some of which are inaccurate and some of which are accurate. That problem is evident and it must be tackled. I would ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs to bear that in mind in dealing with his counterparts in the United States.

I hope the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act will bear fruit despite all the difficulties. All of us, on both sides of the House, have a responsibility to continue our efforts to monitor the passage of the Act through the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. I wish the Minister and his Department the best of luck in his endeavours. We, on this side of the House, will continue our efforts through our informal connections with organisations in the United States and with the US Administration.

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