Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I must stress that this is an undocumented scheme. We gave a commitment to introduce the scheme within the first 18 months. I have committed with the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, and others, to make it as inclusive as possible. There are other avenues for people to avail of to try to regularise their status. While we are trying to make it as inclusive as possible, if we were to take on board the fact that there will be different scenarios where some people can avail of it and some people cannot, we would never introduce the scheme because no matter what scheme we have seen in the past, including, for example, student visa schemes and various others, there will always be somebody who is not included in it for whatever reason. If we were not to carry out scheme for that reason it would be a shame for the many thousands of people who will be able to avail of it. We are trying to make it as broad as possible to make sure as many people are included in it, but we must have set criteria. Unfortunately, it will be the case that not everybody will fall under that criteria. Where they do not fall under the criteria, every effort will be made to make sure that their current status be regularised, or otherwise, and that they are supported in making sure that they can maintain that, and progress on to further status if that is required.

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