Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Now 30 years later, those who worked on the Tube and buses and for local councils are surviving on their pensions. The Irish emigrants, such as those on the recent "Prime Time" programme, are the ones with no pensions, supports, prospects, homes or families. They were never given the opportunity in England. Instead, they were mistreated, abused and exploited right the way through. Senator Mooney, who has done Trojan work in caring for elderly emigrants, will confirm this. The successful people, as he said, were those who took the jobs in Dagenham or on the Tube who were able to buy their houses, get married and send their children, who are now in high-flying positions, to college.

We have inherited a problem that was created by our predecessors. I do not wish to point the finger at any particular Government or political party. I am not claiming that those on the other side of the House care less about emigrants than those on this side. I readily concede that it is a shared concern. However, the proposals for an agency should be implemented. The Minister of State gave credit to Mr. Paddy O'Hanlon for chairing the working group, but every member thereof was diligent.

Can the Department of Foreign Affairs do some practical things for emigrants? The Cathaoirleach correctly ruled out of order a matter I wanted to raise on the Adjournment, namely that Ireland establish a short-wave radio service. I listen to short-wave radio, such as Voice of America or the BBC World Service, when I am abroad. Small countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Zambia and New Zealand all have a short-wave radio service which can be picked up around the globe and is inexpensive to provide. On St. Patrick's Day, I was delighted to note that our long-wave service was decently used. However, the service did not extend as far as Brussels. Can this service's output be boosted to cover Paris and Brussels? By doing so, it could cover the whole of the UK and reach the Irish diaspora in central Europe. It is the next best thing to FM and is clearer than medium-wave.

People will not tune into radio on the Internet even though RTE can be received on the Internet anywhere in the world. People are more inclined to tune into radio on satellite or digital transmission platforms. Can the Minister of State inform us how much would it cost to take space and satellite broadcast footprints around North America, Australia, Asia, New Zealand and parts of Africa? Senator Dooley claimed there were no votes in this issue. Actually, Senator Ryan and I have voters scattered all over the world who take great interest in what happens in this country. I have raised time and again the need for some form of articulation for this group in the democratic process, even so far as giving them the vote. There should be a separate constituency where they can have some voice — albeit under strict conditions — in our democracy.

Recently an individual, abroad for 40 years, told me that the Department of Foreign Affairs used to compile a news digest of the news in Ireland on a monthly basis for circulation. This is no longer in circulation, yet it would be easy to have such a digest on the departmental website with a limited print run. This would allow people abroad to keep in touch with Irish affairs. Digital radio, being the next transmission medium which can be easily accessed by satellite, is also very cheap. People in Europe can listen to RTE radio services through Sky satellite. These are superb services. However, there is poor access to RTE services in the US when a broadcast footprint could easily be established. I ask that such services for emigrants be investigated as they would be much appreciated.

John Hume always used to speak about the number of people in North America who describe themselves as Irish. I have forgotten the exact figures, but they are not important. He said that investment in Ireland to the value of $10 for every Irish immigrant in North America could do a great deal for this country. When one works it out, it is an astronomical figure. I do not suggest that we create Irish millionaires from the pockets of generations of emigrants to North America, but the figures in question allow people to have a clearer understanding of what we are about.

President Bush is due to visit this country in the next six months. I do not want to discuss all aspects of his visit, but there is one point I would like to make. Certain people, including me, will demonstrate against the policies of the current officeholder of the presidency of the United States. I know that such protests will be misunderstood throughout North America, just as they were in 1984. It would be nice if people could understand that we do not seek to give a calculated insult to the American people and the Irish diaspora in the United States, but that we wish to protest against the policies of one person, who is an officeholder. It is not an insult to his office.

The Department of Foreign Affairs understands such nuanced matters, which we fail to convey in these situations, more than any other Department. The development of such a nuanced perspective would help to counterbalance certain difficulties. The Taoiseach has said on a number of occasions that foreign direct investment in this country may be at risk, for example, because people do not understand our attitude in respect of certain matters.

In supporting the motion and the proposed agency for the Irish abroad, I am asking the Minister of State to take a further step. I ask him to examine the creation of greater contact at which RTE is superb. It is a pity that we do not have a short-wave service, as people would listen to it and it would be very much appreciated. It would not cost big money in terms of what we are doing at present. I would like us to expand our long-wave service, to introduce a short-wave service and to book satellite time for radio distribution in the main population centres of the world.