John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate and to support the Fine Gael motion to regularise the plight of thousands of illegal Irish in the US. I congratulate my constituency colleague, Deputy Ring, on tabling the motion and on his continued efforts to resolve this ongoing problem, which has worsened since September 2001. I welcome the fact that the Government has agreed to support the motion. Many issues divide us in the House but it is right and fitting that we all unite in an effort to remove the fear among Irish people in the US and to regularise their status.

Fine Gael has always been committed to helping the undocumented Irish in the US. These are our people and they want to be given an opportunity to live without constant fear of deportation. Many of them left our shores before the Celtic tiger arrived. They did not leave by choice, as they sought employment they could not find at home. Others left Northern Ireland because of the Troubles. They have not been a burden on the US because they have worked hard and contributed to the economy and paid their taxes. The Irish community has a long and proud history and tradition of living and working in the US and it continues to contribute to the economic, cultural and social life of the county. Irish people do not want to be illegal. They have tried over the years to regularise their status and have applied for visas but have failed to secure them.

However, they have not forgotten their Irish roots and traditions and they deserve the opportunity to travel freely without the fear of deportation every time they approach a border. They deserve the chance to travel back and forth to the country of their birth. All of us have seen and heard at first hand the sad stories of people who were unable to come home for family funerals and weddings. We have witnessed the pain on the faces of parents who were too feeble or poor to visit their children and grandchildren in the US because they could not visit them at Christmas or holiday time in Ireland. I have met many illegal Irish at various times on visits to Gaelic Park in New York with football teams. The Irish people who visit Gaelic Park and various other venues throughout America congregate there because it is the only way they can get a taste of home. The hopes of our fellow Irish in the US have had many false dawns over the years. Following the collapse of comprehensive immigration reform earlier this year, it is an opportune time to bring forward a proposal for bilateral agreement.

I strongly agree with Deputy Coveney regarding John Howard, the Australian President, who landed in Washington to sort out the problem for illegal Australians. We need bold leadership. It is one thing for the Government to agree to our motion but it is another to find a solution. The Taoiseach and Ian Paisley need to travel to America to sort out this issue. It would show the Americans how far we have come in this country and it would help to solve the problem.

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