Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Blaney for sharing time with me. I welcome the fact the Government has taken this initiative and assume there will be cross-party support for the current attempt to legalise those who have left here and lived illegally in the US. There was a time when America offered many opportunities that were not available in this country. There may not be the same rush to the US as there once was, but it still leaves people in a predicament when they have been working there and paying taxes yet have not obtained legal status. Such people have not been able to come home, which has had obvious repercussions for themselves and for the loved ones they leave at home. Should they die when in the US, it is often difficult to locate them to bring their bodies home for burial, which is a trauma that nobody wants to experience.

I congratulate Senator Kennedy and the many people involved in bringing the issue this far. It has been a major issue in Ireland and we have met many American officials at different stages. Sometimes it looked very positive while at other times things looked very bleak. I hope the emphasis from Ireland will lend some weight in the US to ensure that these proposals become reality.

I read Senator Ted Kennedy's remarks on comprehensive immigration reform in July. It is recognised that the immigration system needs to be fixed. The Senator pointed to the exploitation of workers, the division of families, fake documents, criminal smuggling, community tensions and public frustrations that are all linked with this issue. The American people are demanding amendments to a system that is broken. It is very important that we add our voice to the debate and emphasise that we hope the US will deal with this once and for all. In the past, the issue has been polarised between people looking for enforcement and those like ourselves who were looking for more visas. The Senator was right in demanding increased enforcement and increased legalisation at the same time, while pointing out that they are not two opposing principles but can be two sides of the one coin.

In the more recent past, the issue has been connected to a greater extent with national security. There was a feeling that national security and immigration reform were inconsistent. However, that is not the case. It is very important to know who is coming into a country. If the people there can be legalised, that helps to deal with national security at the same time. There is also the issue of immigrant workers who are pitted against native workers. To eliminate the culture of illegality that undermines wages and conditions for workers, such an issue must be dealt with.

Do we deport everyone or do we legalise everyone? I do not underestimate the process that would need to be undertaken should these reforms be enacted. However, Senator Kennedy made the point that the cost of deporting everybody makes such a scenario unlikely. The Irish have contributed so much to the US. Senator Kennedy stated on 12 May:

Immigrants have always been an indispensable part of our nation. They have contributed immensely to our communities. They have created new jobs and whole new industries, served in our armed forces, paid their taxes and help make America the continuing land of promise it is today.

It is in the American national interest to deal with the illegality situation and I congratulate Senators McCain, Brownback, Lieberman, Graham and Salazar as well as Congressmen Coble, Flake and Gutierrez who have all been involved in this legislation.

Families here have suffered anguish. They have lost people because of the current inability to move fluidly between one place and the other. This legislation is a win-win for all. It should be passed and I commend it to the House.

See this speech in context