Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not think it is my telephone.

Earlier versions of the Bill and some amendments sought to make changes to the Jl summer programme. These changes would have included the classification of Jl summer participants as "foreign labourers", thereby imposing heavy additional obligations on their employers and the sponsoring organisations who operate the programme. There was also a proposal for each sponsoring organisation to pay a fee of $500 per participant. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade listened closely to the concerns of the operators in Ireland and the United States, who feared that this fee would render the programme financially unsustainable and force them to withdraw from it. The Tánaiste wrote to the Secretary of State, Mr. Kerry, to express his deeply-held concerns on this issue. The Tánaiste also spoke directly to Senator Patrick Leahy, chair of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, to explain the impact the measures would have on the many Irish students who benefit each year. Following interventions by the Tánaiste as well as intensive lobbying by the embassy, Jl operators and student groups, I am pleased that the Bill as passed by the Senate includes provisions that will allow for continuation of the summer Jl visa programme that has meant so much to successive generations of young Irish people. Jl participants are no longer classified as "foreign labourers" and the proposed additional fee has been reduced to $100, payable by either the sponsoring organisation or the student. I look forward to the continued successful operation of the programme in future years. The legislative process in the United States remains ongoing and we will continue to monitor developments and seek suitable opportunities to highlight our interest and improve the scheme.

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