Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

This review has been going on for a very long time, and people need clarity and need to see a sensible evolution of the Department's policy. We should remind ourselves that these are hard-working people caring for our elderly and sick, driving our buses and building our homes. At the end of a hard day, they cannot come home to their husband or wife or kids in the same way the Minister of State and I can. For years their lives end up being on hold. As well as being unfair, I would argue that this policy is short-sighted. If we allowed rapid family reunification for workers, we would be more likely to gain additional workers in some of these critical areas, we would give them the best chance of living independently with two incomes and we would not be imposing that painful, unending divide between family.

Will the Minister of State give us an indication as to when he believes this review will be published, and will it contain recommendations for change?

See this speech in context