Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that. I followed events quite closely and understand the importance of the visit. I should give forewarning that at the end of my contribution I will turn my attention from the situation of the undocumented Irish in the US to the situation of undocumented people here in Ireland.

This time last year the Minister for Foreign Affairs made it clear that the situation of undocumented Irish immigrants in the US was a key priority for the Government. He said that the focus was on securing legal pathways for those seeking to live and work there and that the Government continued to urge the US to create pathways for undocumented migrants to secure citizenship and to change immigration policy to award visas to people from Ireland who wished to live and work in the US.

The Government's stance on Irish migrants is very clear and very honourable and is one that I support fully. Last year the then Minister, Deputy Coveney, said that everyone in this House wants the same outcome, which is to find a way of regularising the lives of Irish people living in the US in the shadows. In that context, why does the same Government refuse to regularise the lives of migrants who are living in Ireland under the exact same conditions? Does the Minister agree there is a degree of hypocrisy here? We go to the US seeking to regularise the position of Irish people there but are unwilling to do the same for people living here in Ireland who would like to regularise their situation. How do we regularise people here who seek the same terms as their Irish counterparts in the US?

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