Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I uphold constitutional values to the letter and in the spirit of the Constitution. Where parents come to Ireland with an infant child or have a child in Ireland, under our Constitution it is not only the right but the duty of the parents to look after their child. If the parents are not allowed to reside legally in Ireland it is their duty to take their child with them whence they came. I reject the notion canvassed recently in the newspapers that the Irish State has an obligation to every Irish-born child to have that child remain in Ireland. The Supreme Court did not uphold that proposition when it was argued before it and would make nonsense of our law. As the Deputy knows, I promoted a referendum on Irish born children who are Irish citizens, which was supported by 80% of the people. During that referendum I promised I would deal in a decent and commonsense way with those who have children in Ireland who are Irish born citizens. I established a scheme last year and 17,900 people, not the handful that opponents of the referendum said were an issue, asked to remain in Ireland on foot of the scheme. Including siblings and the like that will mean approximately 25,000 people will remain in Ireland on foot of that scheme. I have not been behind the door. I have shown common sense and have been fair and generous in the way I have dealt with this issue.

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