Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I too welcome the Minister to the House. I thank the Leader for agreeing to put this matter on the Order Paper today. It allows us to have a comprehensive debate following the report of the task force on emigrants which was published last August. It is a very important report and I welcome the fact that the commitment given in the PPF to establish such a body was honoured. Important consultative work has been achieved by the task force over the past year or so under the excellent chairmanship of Mr. Paddy O'Hanlon. We now need to know what will be done with its recommendations.

It is fitting that we address this issue in the Seanad, which has a long and proud history of dealing with matters that affect the Irish abroad. Ten years ago the issue of votes for Irish emigrants abroad was first raised in the Seanad. It is important that the first House of the Oireachtas to debate this issue is the Seanad.

I am sure the Minister will appreciate that all sides of the House would urge him and his Cabinet colleagues to deliver on some of the recommendations. I welcome the fact that an interdepartmental working group has been established, that it has met and that it will shortly produce its report on how best we can proceed to implement some of the many good recommendations that came out of the task force report. It is significant that the issue is being debated.