Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

He has raised it with the President, many Senators and Congressmen to try to overcome the difficulties that too many Irish citizens are experiencing. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, who has made 20 visits to the United States to address this issue, has been instructed to draw attention to Irish concerns, as have all Ministers and Ministers of State. We have done so regularly and I have done so on several occasions and will continue to do so until the problem is resolved satisfactorily.

The consensus that this is an all-Ireland problem that deeply affects the North and the Border counties, including Donegal, is correct. The upcoming tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next spring offers an opportunity to address the movement of people between the United States and Ireland in an all-island context. Such movement has benefited all the people of the United States over many years.

The Government would prefer to see the US Government adopt comprehensive emigration reform, as would Deputies Higgins, Ferris and others, but this must take full account of the advice of our well-placed friends in both Houses in the United States. The political prospects for reform are not there at present. We all know many clergy in the United States, including Fr. Brendan McBride, with whom Deputy Deenihan and I work, and we will continue to work together to try to achieve a resolution to this most serious issue.

See this speech in context