Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The issue before us does not only affect the 50,000 undocumented Irish in the United States or impact on the families and friends we met earlier who are clearly so worried about the plight of their loved ones. It is an issue that affects us all because it is our responsibility not to turn our backs on the people who were forced to leave this country during a darker time in our economic history.

The situation facing undocumented Irish in the US has become more precarious since 11 September 2001. Many Irish people are unable to obtain driving licences or even travel to Ireland at the most upsetting of times, such as when they need to attend a family funeral. However, the situation is now reaching a crisis point. There are reports of Irish people being targeted, arrested and deported and the matter is growing ever more grave. In recent weeks, six undocumented Irish people, one woman and five men, were arrested. One of those arrested had been in the United States for 12 years and, like many others, had built a life there before seeing it swept from under his feet in a matter of days. Another individual was forced to return to Ireland and was barred from re-entering the United States. As a result, he was unable to bring home the remains of a brother who had died in the US. The Irish community is living in greater fear than ever and is near desperation point, yet the Government demonstrates little or no understanding of their situation. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has dropped the ball on this issue. It is not good enough that Irish people anywhere should be allowed to live in such conditions. There is little hope that any of those people will receive working visas at any point in the future.

In 2006, Irish people received a mere 54 lottery visas out of a global total of 50,000 and only 1,906 green cards. There is little option for these people other than a new agreement which will help them out of this predicament. I do not need to stress the urgency of this issue. The window of opportunity for these people is closing rapidly and will soon be firmly shut. The US Government's momentum is faltering and the issue is unlikely to be progressed by the current administration. If we wait until after the forthcoming presidential election it will be too late. The topic of immigration reform is so charged in the United States that it is regarded as a third rate issue which nobody will touch for fear of political electrocution. Senior US Senators are willing to progress it but their hands are tied unless the Irish Government steps up to campaign for these people. It is almost certain that under the next administration there will be no movement on the immigration issue, so we have to act while limited time is still available to solve the crisis facing Irish people in the US.

There is no doubt that the Irish-American connection has always been strong, both culturally and economically. At this time of economic growth in Ireland, well-educated and highly skilled Americans are expressing a growing interest in working in Ireland. When the former Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Killeen, visited a FÁS exhibition in New York last October, he noted huge interest in Americans wishing to travel to Ireland to work and a queue outside the exhibition venue which stretched more than two and a half blocks. He stated there was clear evidence to support the establishment of some sort of bilateral agreement between the US and Irish Governments. In addition, the Aisling Irish Community Centre in New York has indicated they are dealing with increasing numbers of Irish people. This kind of labour activity in Ireland and the United States is proof that a bilateral agreement providing for a renewable visa system is the way to capture the interest in the Irish economy and solve the problem Irish emigrants face in America.

The opportunity now presents itself of harnessing the goodwill that has been developed during the peace process to secure a bilateral agreement between Ireland and the United States. Precedence has been set for this kind of agreement by Australia's arrangement which allows 10,000 Australians to work in the US on a special E-3 visa, while Americans are given the same number of visas in return. This two-year visa can be renewed indefinitely, allows immigrants to bring spouses and children to the US and permits spouses to work legally. A similar agreement could be developed for Irish workers, including an amnesty clause to allow undocumented Irish to gain access to the visa programme. It has been suggested that by arguing that many of the undocumented in the US were victims of high unemployment caused by the Troubles, the Government could make a unique case for a new visa regime. The upcoming economic conference in Belfast sponsored by the Americans is the perfect opportunity to launch such an agreement and would provide a forum for officially recognising the American contribution to peace on the island of Ireland while marking the tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Last April, the Minister indicated his intention to do all in his power to help these people. He stated that since becoming Minister for Foreign Affairs, he made the search for a resolution to the situation facing the undocumented a key priority for his Department, that the nation cannot turn its back on the undocumented Irish living in a twilight world in the United States and that we must do all we can to reunite these families. When he visited Washington last month, he again indicated his interest in reaching a reciprocal agreement with the United States that would be linked to the political settlement in the North. Has this been political rhetoric designed to impress while he was on tour in Washington or is he genuinely committed to resolving this issue? What communications has he had with US representatives in past weeks regarding this issue and what exactly has been done to find a resolution?

I am not speaking for the people in this country but for the undocumented in the United States, some of whom I met last week. It was not the first time I visited the USA. On many occasions, my colleagues, Deputies McGinley, Coveney, Connaughton and I have travelled there at our own cost to lobby for these people. I am saying to the Minister, the Taoiseach and the Government backbenchers that we owe it to Irish citizens to reach an agreement. America preaches that it will look after its people wherever in the world they may be. We have to look after the Irish people who find themselves in this situation. The taxpayer will not mind if the Taoiseach, the Minister and, perhaps, the Leader of the Opposition and other of our colleagues use the Government jet to travel to America to lobby Irish-American politicians. They want to support us but political will is needed to reach out to them. I urge the Taoiseach to personally visit the USA before the weekend to reach a deal for our Irish illegals. That is not an impossible task because Ted Kennedy and other US Senators are prepared to support the Irish families who are affected by this issue.

I do not want to see another situation like the one involving a woman in my constituency who, five years ago, came to my clinic in Ballinrobe, and that is when I got involved in this issue. Until the day I die I will never forget what she said to me. At that time I did not know much about undocumented Irish people in America. She said:

Michael, I have gone to America for the last five years. My son is there. He is married and has two children. I go to see them whenever I can. Last week I got bad news. I have cancer. I know that my son, his wife and my grandchildren will not be able to come to my funeral in Ireland.

I said:

That is not right. We have to do something for these people that are undocumented in America. We have to put the pressure on the Irish Government.

That woman died and her son could not come home for her funeral. If he had come to his mother's funeral he faced the possibility of not being able to get back into the United States of America, to his wife and two children. We must do something about that. It is our duty as legislators to act. I call on the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to act. I accept, because I am not one of those people who does not give credit where it is due, that the Government has made an effort, but what we want now is a bigger effort. This is an all-Ireland problem and, if necessary, Mr. Paisley, Mr. McGuinness and the Tánaiste should lobby on behalf of our Irish citizens. I call on them to go to the United States and do what has to be done.

I have been contacted by people from all parts of the country. We are coming into a very lonely time again — Christmas. Many of these people in the United States will not be able to come home for Christmas, family weddings or funerals. It is important that the Taoiseach and the Government are committed to going there to resolve this very serious problem.

I thank Mr. Niall O'Dowd, Mr. Ciaran Staunton and others involved in the Irish immigration group on behalf of the Irish people. I thank them on behalf of the undocumented in America because they are in the United States legally, running their own businesses and they could be doing other things. Instead, they are committed to Ireland, to our citizens and to striking a deal. People such as Mr. O'Dowd and Mr. Staunton have gone to a lot of trouble.

Mr. Niall O'Dowd went to a very important committee meeting in the United States. It is very difficult to get into a Senate meeting and be given time to speak. The meeting was broadcast by American television. RTE should have been there as well, covering the case that Mr. O'Dowd made on behalf of the undocumented Irish. RTE has done a good job on this issue but it is important to keep up the momentum. The broadcaster should send people to America to show the kind of situations in which our people are trapped.

The Government has accepted the motion and I hope the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs will immediately head for Washington. We must remember that Mr. Albert Reynolds did it when it was important for the peace process. He picked up the telephone and rang President Clinton. I urge the Taoiseach to pick up the telephone and ring President Bush. American politicians are facing a presidential election and every single one of them will be telling us about their great Irish ancestors. If they have great Irish ancestors, let them prove it. Let us complete a bilateral agreement for our Irish citizens who are trapped in the United States of America. Please God, between now and Christmas, a Bill will be rushed through Congress and something will be done for our undocumented Irish. Something must be done. I want something to be done. I want the Irish Government to immediately head for Washington.

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