Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

We spoke at length yesterday about Ministers travelling abroad, especially to America. Will the Leader ask his ministerial colleagues and Senators who are travelling to highlight the issue of the undocumented Irish in America? The Taoiseach should highlight the seriousness of their situation when he addresses Congress.

In the Irish Echo in America, Mr. Niall O'Dowd for the Irish lobby for immigration reform, cited examples of people living in the shadows who are afraid even to go to hospital. One man, a labourer who was undocumented in America for nine years, died of pneumonia last week because he was unable to go to hospital. Young women are unable to renew their drivers' licences and consequently cannot drive their children to school. These are our people and we should not forget about them. There are thousands of them in America. This affects all our communities because they are afraid to come home for funerals and to see their families. We should use the opportunity of the St. Patrick's Day festival to highlight the undocumented people in America.