Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

There are thousands of undocumented workers who have been on the edge of their seats all year since the scheme was flagged, hoping there was a path that might improve their situation. The fact that the Department did not announce the details as promised in September, and has still not announced the details, has only added to the anxiety.

My question focuses on a likely unfair anomaly in the proposed scheme that will impact on non-EEA fishers but it may well have similar impact in other sectors. It has been worked out so that there is a chance to correct it before the problem emerges. Like many other workers who have never been documented and have been here for four years or more, it is likely that a number of fishers will be able to avail of the documentation scheme on the basis of the information we have. Potential anomaly number one is that it is not clear if those fishers who are currently undocumented but who may have been enrolled in the atypical scheme within the last four-year timeframe are to be excluded. I am aware that the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland co-ordinated a letter to the Minister's office signed by a host of NGOs, unions and even some employer groups citing this concern as it exists across the board among undocumented workers in all sectors. Will the Minister comment on that?

See this speech in context