Mary Henry (Independent)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, to the House and I also welcome the European Communities (Amendment) Bill 2006. I am glad the Minister of State mentioned the former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, who died yesterday. It is right that he acknowledged the late Mr. Haughey's contribution to the European project and his enthusiasm for it because Mr. Haughey put a huge effort into the meeting of the Council of Europe that took place in 1990.

We are all enthusiastic about the European project. While Senator Mooney is quite right to warn about the difficulties we face, I still believe that people in Ireland want to go forward. In the past 15 years, one of the best things to have happened to Ireland has been the enormous decrease in unemployment. The steps taken by the Government, in common with the Swedish and British Governments to allow the free movement of workers on the accession of the ten countries from the Baltic and eastern Europe, has not caused any further trouble with regard to employment. The unemployment rate has remained virtually the same, and those workers have been of great benefit to the economy.

I am glad the Minister of State also noted that the benefits of being within Europe have not simply been economic. When one thinks of Europe this time 70 years ago and recalls what was happening in Germany, it is incredibly important that it is, as the Minister of State noted, politically secure and united. The European Union has been enormously beneficial for Ireland, in terms of the establishment of a social and psychological framework of such dimensions that I cannot envisage it going backwards.

Moreover, the social problems which have arisen in some other member states of the European Union have not been due to migration of workers within the Union. In general, such problems appear to have arisen in respect of non-EU workers and immigrants in some specific regions, particularly if such people have been ghettoised. However, there are non-EU workers in some parts of Ireland. Some, such as the Brazilian meat workers in Gort, are concentrated in particular locations. They have successfully integrated and Members will have taken pride in listening to them talk about the Brazilian team in a recent radio broadcast. Hence, Irish people should be as optimistic as possible because if one asserts that a particular matter will become a problem, it will do so rapidly.

To date, the instincts of all Governments with regard to the European Union have been correct. On the arrival of Romanian and Bulgarian workers, Ireland should continue in the manner in which it has treated workers heretofore. While I realise this issue must be examined closer to the date of accession, I hope the Irish economy will be performing just as well then as it is at present.

However, I ask the Minister of State to reconsider the exclusion of such workers from social welfare entitlements for two years. Apparently, some problems are being encountered and a small number have ended up homeless. Members will not wish to see such a development. They may recall an appalling situation involving a young Ukrainian woman in Northern Ireland last winter who, while sleeping out of doors, contracted such severe frostbite that she lost her feet. I would be grateful if the Minister of State were to ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to re-examine the situation regarding social welfare entitlements.

Most people who have come to Ireland from the Baltic states and eastern Europe are at work. One cannot enter a shop in Dublin without encountering Poles, Latvians or Lithuanians, all of whom make a contribution to society. I feel rather sorry for the Baltic states in particular with regard to the brain drain from those countries. Earlier this year, I visited Latvia where there is some dismay that it is losing people in their 20s in particular, many of whom are well qualified. They are just the sort of people who would come here, form relationships with Irish people and settle here. I was told that some villages and towns in Latvia have lost a considerable number of people to Ireland in particular, as well as to Sweden. This has caused them the kind of distress which used to be found here when so many of our young people went to the United States and the United Kingdom.

It would be nice if some of the young people in question came here, improved their potential for careers in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and so forth, and returned. Members must hope there will be good economic progress in those countries in order that such people will not always be obliged to come to Ireland to improve their situation and that they will be able to return to their countries.

Today, the House is addressing the issue of the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria. In recent times, both countries have experienced terrible troubles. I visited Romania when Ceaucescu was in charge and it was utterly appalling. Women suffered dreadfully and all were obliged, if possible, to produce approximately five children. The maternal mortality rate was shocking and, as a hangover from those times, Romania's perinatal mortality rate is still the worst in Europe. As Members know only too well, enormous numbers of children were left in orphanages by married couple who could not afford to bring them up. The parents were obliged to have the children, who ended up in orphanages. It was a most pathetic situation.

However, the former kingdom of Romania was once very prosperous. Romanians are bitter about what they feel was the theft of many of their assets by the Soviet Union. One hopes the situation will improve again. I visited Romania subsequently and, like Senator Mooney, I formed the impression that matters were improving dramatically.

In ancient times, Bulgaria was the seat of the ancient kingdom of Thrace, which rivalled Greece with its culture and wealth. It is important that Members should remember its background. I am sure that by the time Bulgaria enters the Union, it will have made the requisite efforts in respect of organised crime which apparently is still a serious problem there. Recently, I was depressed to hear a Bulgarian archaeologist talking about how the legislation regarding looting from ancient historic sites in Bulgaria is so cumbersome and slow, that looters always get to such sites before the archaeologists. Moreover, the gold of Thrace is coming onto the international market at a most unacceptable rate, given that one is not allowed to export such wonderful items of heritage from the country at present. This is an important issue which must be considered.

People from both countries already work in Ireland, some of whom are professionals. One such person, who is a colleague of mine in the Rotunda Hospital, has given great service to this State in a medical capacity for many years. Members must remember that musicians in orchestras, choirs and so forth have also made an important contribution to this State.

The Minister of State noted that the Government will consider the situation regarding the freedom of movement of workers closer to the date of accession, which seems reasonable. However, it is important that employers who bring people to Ireland with work permits should try to make more of an effort to ensure that such workers learn English. Some people get jobs in which they learn very little English, which keeps them isolated. This should be taken on board by places of employment. Some hospitals have tried to do so in respect of nurses from abroad who are filling in the serious nursing shortage. They try to guarantee that such nurses get English classes, to ensure they do not simply speak English at a basic level but can also address the concerns of patients and their relatives. It is important for them to make progress in this regard.

The situation for older women coming to this country from abroad who do not work outside the home can also be difficult. Decades ago, when I worked in America, I recall encountering Hungarian and Polish women who had been in the country for decades and who still could not speak English. If this happens here, we could also have women in the home who are unable to become part of society.

At the end of his speech, the Minister of State mentioned that there was consternation last year on foot of the refusal of two countries to ratify the proposed European constitution. I was not surprised, as it was so complicated. It was quite difficult to understand, even though much of it was discussed in this House. I will refer to the French vote in particular. One man in Paris told me that taxi drivers had not been allowed an increase in fares in February last year, which was very important. Moreover, while driving across France at the time, I saw a big placard propped up against a bale of hay in a field which read, "Votez non À l'EU de Tony Blair". Can the Minister work that out? I could not. The French have their own reasons for voting no. It is amazing how we weathered it. It was predicted that terrible confusion would strike the EU but everything has gone on smoothly and I am sure we will address these issues, as the Minister said, in the future. I wish him luck with this legislation, which will benefit the Irish, Bulgarians, Romanians and the EU.