Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

This is the first significant country-specific and certainly pro-Irish legislation in 15 years since the Donnelly and Morrison visas. I commend Senator Schumer, who with the help of Mr. Niall O'Dowd and the Irish immigration lobby in New York have been actively involved in trying to get some meaningful immigration reform. Lest anybody might think that these comments are in some way encouraging emigration, the reason I welcome it — I am sure the Leader will agree — is that there are young well educated Irish people who sadly do not have jobs here but who voluntarily leave to upskill and then return later. That is now a firmly established pattern.

There is a distinction between voluntary and involuntary emigration. If it means the country with which we have the strongest cultural, historical and economic ties will permit 10,000 Irish citizens to enter the United States and work for a short period, it will ultimately benefit this country and I hope it will address not only those, who may wish to avail of this voluntarily if the Bill is passed, but also those who are currently undocumented in the United States. Would the Leader consider inviting the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to come to the House to discuss the immigration-emigration issue? It is important for us to have an opportunity to discuss the impact it is having and to convey to the general public that sometimes emigration of itself is not necessarily tragic, but involuntary emigration is.

I add my concerns to those of Senator Darragh O'Brien. I know, based on what Senator Bacik has said about the times——