Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

Thousands of our fellow country people are living in stranded, fugitive circumstances in America. They are not able to enter the workforce in the normal way or avail of regular employment protections and cannot return home for family funerals, weddings and other events. They live in constant fear, which is horrendous and wrong. It is clear a comprehensive immigration Bill will not go through the legislature in America this year and that there is no support for such legislation. I ask that the Deputy Leader arrange a debate in this House in regard to the Government seeking a bilateral agreement between the United States and Ireland to address and regularise the situation of the undocumented Irish——