John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I very much welcome this motion and compliment Deputy Ring on tabling it. I welcome it not only because it has been proposed by Fine Gael but because it proposes the basis for a much needed solution to the problem of the undocumented Irish in the US. The undocumented Irish make a valuable contribution to the economic and social life of the United States. They have chosen to make their life there yet within the US, their lifestyles are marked by a permanent state of anxiety. They face significant hardship and their plight gets harder by the day. They are seriously restricted in their options for working and earning a living. They cannot return home to see their families, attend funerals or weddings or to visit their elderly parents or seriously ill family members. That has a huge impact on a large number of people who cannot come home for important family occasions often following tragedy.

I look forward to the day when the many undocumented Irish, having established some form of legal status in the US, have the legal right to live there, to work in any job of their choice and to travel freely to visit parents, family and friends. I spoke to Mayor Bloomberg, New York's first citizen, when he visited Ireland. He spoke very openly and was one of the first politicians to call for this situation to be resolved. As Deputy Ring stated, there are 40 million members of the diaspora in the United States. In the next 12 months, there will be a change of president and there is a possibility that Mayor Bloomberg could be a candidate in that race. This will be an election issue. This motion should be well received by the US authorities because of the opportunity it offers to young US citizens to visit and work in Ireland.

The motion refers to an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 undocumented Irish people living and working in the US which is an appalling situation, the difficulties the undocumented face of which I know, the contribution Irish emigrants make to the US economy which is evident everywhere one goes, the strong economic ties between the island of Ireland and the United States and the growing level of social, political and economic co-operation on the island of Ireland following the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. It also refers to the existing bilateral agreement between Australia and the USA which allows 10,000 Australians to work in the US annually while US citizens are granted the same number of Australian visas in return. These are critical points.

Formal educational institutions are part of the process of developing capable and responsible citizens and thus building a successful country. However, in an era of globalisation of trade in goods and services, students must also learn about other cultures and people. The university of life is the best place to get this particular experience. Living abroad will give US students a depth of personal experience that cannot be matched by reading, studying, e-mails or the Internet. Typical overseas study programmes are too short and too organised for students to really learn about other countries, people, traditions and cultures. For third level students, it is a time for freedom, openness and curiosity about other people and places and for embracing new experiences.

Spending a year in Ireland, being thrust into the unfamiliar and living as the locals do will give them knowledge, experience and an understanding of people which will last them a lifetime. By living and working independently, they will emerge with a much richer understanding and a more open-minded view of the world than anything taught in a classroom.

Young US citizens living and working in Ireland would also have the opportunity to visit other parts of Europe thus expanding their horizons to a much wider range of countries and cultures. Living and working abroad is not only about understanding a new culture, it is also about getting a new perspective on one's home country. Seeing things from a distance gives an opportunity to appreciate all the good things at home. The mix of ideas and experiences will help foster the imagination to see new opportunities and provide an inspiration for fresh ideas and creativity. This is a win-win result for both our countries.

The bilateral agreement proposed in this motion provides an important opportunity to enhance and strengthen ties of understanding and friendship between the US and Ireland. I look forward to the conclusion of such an agreement at the earliest possible date.

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